Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on April 16 announced the Mass Wins Act, a $305 million economic development bill that seeks to attract global investment, lower business costs and strengthen the state’s position in defense technology, artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing and other advanced industries.
According to the bill summary, the bill’s $305 million in new capital authorizations would be partially offset by about $254 million in deauthorizations of existing capital accounts.
The proposal follows the Mass Leads Act, an economic development package Healey signed in November 2024. That legislation directed funding toward life sciences, climatetech, advanced manufacturing and robotics. It also updated business incentive programs and community investment tools.
The new legislation contains more than 120 provisions outside the main funding pipeline, which is organized around five policy pillars.
The first pillar focuses on global investment. According to the bill summary, the Pension Reserves Investment Management (PRIM) Board would be directed to make a seed investment of at least $50 million focused on Massachusetts innovation. The vehicle, called the GlobalMass Innovation Access Fund, would channel international capital into Massachusetts-based companies.
A separate $20 million capital authorization would fund site development designed to help international companies locate and expand in the state.
The second pillar targets affordability, with several provisions intended to lower costs for businesses. The legislation would lower the initial filing fee to form most limited liability companies (LLCs) from $500 to $100 and update eligibility for the Small Business Energy Tax Exemption for the first time since 2006, a change officials say would extend the benefit to about 20,000 additional businesses. The bill would also authorize discounted electricity rates for large employers relocating to Massachusetts, provided the arrangement does not raise costs for existing ratepayers.
The third pillar, targeting workforce and talent, deals with early-career worker retention and workforce pipeline issues through three provisions. The bill would tighten the state’s noncompete law to ensure employers offer fair compensation when enforcing those agreements against early-career workers. It would also speed up a $10 million annual internship tax credit program created under the Mass Leads Act and reduce licensing barriers for internationally trained nurses who have already demonstrated English proficiency.
The fourth pillar carries the largest share of the capital authorization, targeting defense and technology sectors. It includes $100 million for defense sector innovation through the Strategic Hub for Innovation, Exchange and Leadership in Defense (SHIELD) initiative, $75 million for applied AI and quantum computing and $25 million for the state’s robotics cluster.
Another $25 million would support companies constructing or expanding facilities in the state through the Business Expansion Capital program, while $10 million would go toward agricultural technology and food science. The bill also includes a grid innovation provision that would establish a board within the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) to address barriers to electric grid modernization, allowing the state Department of Public Utilities (DPU) to issue expedited approvals for related filings.
The fifth pillar focuses on community and regional investment, dedicating $25 million to downtown revitalization efforts and another $25 million for a creative economy capital program supporting public space improvements, historic district rehabilitation and cultural facility upgrades. It would also expand eligibility for the Cultural Facilities Fund, streamline zoning in the Devens Regional Enterprise Zone and authorize municipalities to pay upfront costs for broadband-related utility infrastructure work.
The legislation now heads to the Massachusetts Legislature for consideration. According to the press release, several business groups have urged swift action on the bill, with the Massachusetts Business Roundtable calling for passage this session. The Massachusetts Competitive Partnership also voiced support, saying state economic policy needs to evolve to keep pace with rapid changes in the broader economy.
On the defense side, General Dynamics Mission Systems, which has operations in the state, said the SHIELD fund would help strengthen domestic supply chains and accelerate technologies in applied AI and autonomous systems.
Business groups are pressing for passage this session, with House and Senate leadership yet to review the bill, according to Healey.
Photo by Emmanuel Huybrechts from Laval, Canada, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
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