COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
MASSACHUSETTS SENATE
STATE HOUSE, BOSTON 02133
Senator Joan B. Lovely
State Senator
2nd Essex District
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 12, 2020
Senate Passes Bill to Protect Residents from Mosquito-Borne EEE Virus
BOSTON – The Massachusetts State Senate on Thursday passed legislation that will help protect residents from Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), a mosquito-borne arbovirus that is rare but can be fatal. The legislation comes as the state prepares for what is expected to be another active season for mosquitos across the state.
“With the mosquito season already underway, we must act quickly to protect our residents from the potentially deadly effects of EEE,” stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “Central Massachusetts, for the first time, was one of the many areas impacted by last year’s EEE outbreak. With reports of another active season, and chances of EEE continuing to spread to other areas of the state, now is the time to act. This bill will establish a comprehensive and coordinated approach to tackling EEE that will reach all corners of the Commonwealth. I would like to thank Senators Comerford and Rodrigues for advancing this issue with urgency. I look forward to the bill swiftly becoming law.”
“To protect our communities while taking precautions to protect our environment, I am proud to join my colleagues in swiftly passing legislation responding to the high risk of EEE,” said Senator Joan B. Lovely (D-Salem). “I am grateful for the leadership of Senate President Spilka, Senate Ways & Means Chair Rodrigues, and Senate Public Health Chair Comerford in addressing this vital public-health issue.”
Last year, Massachusetts saw a resurgence of EEE, with more than two hundred communities designated as moderate to critical risk by the Department of Public Health (DPH). The virus is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito and can impact humans of any age as well as animals. Massachusetts typically experiences outbreaks every 10-20 years, and the outbreak can last for two to three years. In late September 2019, the DPH confirmed three people died due to EEE. Prior to 2019, the most recent outbreak, according to state health officials, began in 2010.
“I’m proud that this bill will allow the state to take necessary actions to combat EEE while also beginning to reform the way our Commonwealth controls mosquitos, prioritizing both public health and environmental protection,” stated Senator Jo Comerford, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health (D-Northampton). “I’m grateful to the Senate President for her leadership and work to move this bill forward with all due speed.”
“To better prepare for serious public health risks like EEE, it is important our Commonwealth takes steps to mitigate the risks and protect the well-being of our communities from the threat of mosquito-borne illnesses,” said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D – Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “I applaud my colleagues for recognizing the seriousness of EEE and Senate President Spilka for her leadership in acting to ensure we pass this critical measure today to better position our state to combat diseases transmitted by mosquitoes.”
The bill authorizes the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board (SRMCB) to take actions to reduce the mosquito population if the Department of Public Health determines there may be an elevated risk of EEE.
These actions include public education, surveillance of the mosquito population, elimination of standing water and application of larvicides that safely prevent mosquitoes from becoming adults. The SRMCB would also be authorized to conduct aerial pesticide spraying, subject to notifying the public and putting in place procedural safeguards.. Certain landowners, such as owners of organic farms, may apply to opt-out of spraying, and a municipality may opt-out of spraying if the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs approves an alternative mosquito management plan provided by the municipality. The bill also creates a Mosquito Control for the 21st Century Task Force to recommend reforms to modernize and improve the state’s mosquito control system.
The bill now moves to the Massachusetts House of Representatives.