Gov. Maura Healey announces BRIGHT Act to unlock about $2.5 billion for public higher education

Governor Maura Healey announced the BRIGHT Act on a visit to Bridgewater State University, unveiling a proposal to use fair‑share surtax revenues and a $125 million annual appropriation to support special‑obligation bonds that would unlock about $2.5 billion in new borrowing over the next 10 years for public higher‑education capital needs.

The proposal, which Healey said will be filed with the House as part of the administration’s House 1 budget, aims to address long‑deferred maintenance, upgrade labs and classrooms, and decarbonize campus energy systems across the state’s 29 public higher‑education campuses. “We refuse to kick the can down the road,” Healey said, adding the bill will create “tens of thousands of great jobs” in construction and related trades.

Why it matters: state campus buildings have accumulated large backlogs of repairs and upgrades that campus leaders say affect affordability and learning. Fred S. Clark, president of Bridgewater State University, told the announcement that BSU alone has more than $200 million in deferred maintenance and that modern facilities are critical to student outcomes and career readiness.

How the plan would work: Secretary of Administration and Finance Matt Gorkowitz said the administration will recommend appropriating $125 million of fair‑share surtax revenue annually to support issuance of special‑obligation bonds. Gorkowitz said that approach would “unlock approximately $2.5 billion in new borrowing over the next 10 years,” modeled on existing financing used for the Commonwealth Transportation Fund.

Officials cited recent fair‑share surtax collections as a financing foundation. The administration said fair‑share revenue generated about $2.4 billion in fiscal 2024 and is constitutionally dedicated to transportation and education purposes; the BRIGHT proposal would direct a portion of those revenues to support bond issuance for higher education capital projects.

State education officials said the funds would be available for projects including new labs and classrooms, life‑sciences and climate‑tech facilities, energy‑system decarbonization, and ADA and accessibility upgrades. “These investments will enable students to learn in more modern, greener, safer, and innovative environments,” said Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler.

Local and campus context: Bridgewater State President Fred S. Clark said BSU operates 2 million square feet across 278 acres and educates about 10,000 students. Clark and others at the event stressed that deferred‑maintenance funding helps keep public campuses affordable and competitive with private institutions.

Student perspective: Tommy Rose, a senior computer‑science student at Bridgewater State who said he will begin a job at MITRE after graduation, spoke about the campus cyber range and partnership programs. “I wouldn’t have had the experience to get the job that I have now if it wasn’t for my IT position and Cyber Trust Massachusetts,” Rose said.

Next steps and limitations: Healey said the administration will file the bill and the House 1 budget recommendation. The announcement was a policy proposal and financing plan; no formal vote or appropriation was taken at the event. Implementation will require legislative approval and bond market transactions. Officials described the financing structure as modeled on an existing credit used for transportation but emphasized that projects, timing and exact borrowing will depend on subsequent legislative and budget actions.

Other details mentioned at the event: Healey referenced a recent $8 billion transportation financing package as an example of the administration’s broader capital agenda. Officials at the event included Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega, Commissioner of the Division of Capital Asset Management Adam Bakke, and members of the Higher Education Capital Working Group and campus leaders from the state colleges, universities and UMass system.

The announcement frames the BRIGHT Act as a long‑term, dedicated approach to higher‑education capital needs; the administration said it would prioritize projects that advance student learning, workforce training and campus decarbonization, but detailed project lists or allocations were not specified at the announcement.