The Healey-Driscoll Administration in Massachusetts has introduced the BRIGHT Act to modernize public college campuses statewide. This legislation is the largest investment in the state's public higher education system in decades, according to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Governor Maura Healey's proposed bill aims to upgrade aging school facilities from the 1970s with new labs, classrooms, and mental health amenities. Healey stated, "Our public university and college campuses have suffered from historic underinvestment since they were built in the 1970s. We refuse to kick the can down the road any longer when it comes to educating our kids and training our workers of tomorrow." The bill is expected to create 15,000 construction jobs and support programs like the Cyber Range at Bridgewater State University. Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll noted the plan's focus on "by providing critical resources to modernize and upgrade campuses," as reported by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The Healey administration is using the Fair Share surtax to support $2.5 billion in borrowing over ten years and the BRIGHT Act, which allocates up to $3 billion for improvements to educational facilities. The initiative aims to address deferred maintenance, decarbonize infrastructure, and modernize campuses. Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz said, "The bill we are filing today puts these new resources to work to ensure our campuses can address their significant deferred maintenance backlogs and decarbonize their infrastructure while also modernizing to meet the needs of today’s students and workforce." Additionally, Massachusetts has seen an increase in college enrollment, which is linked to affordability measures. Higher Education Commissioner Noe Ortega stated, "This historic investment will transform our public campuses and ensure students and faculty have the absolute best environments to learn, grow and thrive," as stated by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
