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Mass. lawmakers file bill to curb light pollution, require shielded fixtures and 3,000K limit
Summary
State Representatives Sean Garballey of Arlington and Simon Cataldo of Concord filed a bill Jan. 16, 2025, to require shielded, lower-color-temperature outdoor lighting paid for with state or municipal funds and to direct state agencies to adopt related regulations, reports and rates.
State Representatives Sean Garballey of Arlington and Simon Cataldo of Concord filed a bill Jan. 16, 2025, that would add Section 38 to Chapter 85 of the Massachusetts General Laws and require state and municipal purchases of new permanent outdoor light fixtures to meet standards intended to reduce energy waste and minimize light pollution.
The bill, House No. 3494, directs the Department of Energy Resources to promulgate regulations by Jan. 1, 2026, that would, among other provisions, require roadway and parking-lot fixtures paid for with state or municipal funds to be fully shielded except for ornamental fixtures or fixtures for tunnels and underpasses; limit the correlated color temperature of installed fixtures to a level not to exceed 3,000 kelvin unless an exemption for public safety, decorative color illumination of façade features, or athletic areas is demonstrated; and require fixtures to provide maintained illuminance no greater than industry standards require for the intended purpose unless a verified safety or security need exists. The bill defines terms such as “fully shielded fixture,” “uplight,” “façade lighting” and “ornamental lighting.”
The filing also requires the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to issue a report by Jan. 1, 2026, reviewing existing roadway lighting, operational costs, health and environmental impacts, actions taken to meet current standards, and recommendations for reducing costs by replacing unshielded or high-wattage fixtures with lower-wattage, fully shielded fixtures and by substituting passive safety measures where appropriate. The bill directs the Department of Public Utilities, subject to its ratemaking authority, to develop a rate for unmetered roadway or parking-lot lighting fixtures that use less than 25 watts, also by Jan. 1, 2026.
The bill lists explicit exemptions: federal preemption; temporary lighting for emergency, repair or construction; navigational lighting for aviation and nautical safety; situations where a compelling safety or security need cannot be addressed by other methods; replacement of previously installed fixtures damaged or inoperable; festoon lighting as defined in NFPA 70 National Electrical Code; and any exemptions codified in the DOER regulations. It also requires DOER to consult with MassDOT and the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security in drafting regulations.
House petitioners added after the initial filing include Representative Natalie M. Blais (1st Franklin), Senator James B. Eldridge (Middlesex and Worcester), and Senator Bruce E. Tarr (First Essex and Middlesex) on later dates recorded in the filing. The document is a bill filing; it does not record any committee referral, hearing, amendment, or legislative vote on the measure.
If enacted as written, the bill would create regulatory deadlines and reporting duties for state agencies and set technical limits and installation standards for fixtures funded with state or municipal money. The filing does not itself change existing municipal ordinances, but it states that if a municipal or county ordinance specifies lower illuminance levels, the municipal or county standard would control for that purpose as written in the draft language.
