Special to the Independent
Senator Sal DiDomenico successfully advocated for an additional $10 million for Bunker Hill Community College in the BRIGHT Act, a $3.28 billion bond bill for higher education investments that was unanimously passed in the Senate. This bond bill will invest in upgrades to public higher education campuses across Massachusetts and strengthen the learning experiences of students at community colleges, state universities, and UMass campuses.
Senator DiDomenico’s amendment will allow Bunker Hill Community College to fully renovate their large auditorium on campus which is widely used by both students and faculty. This will help the school improve accessibility, upgrade seating, and modernize systems such as electricity and lighting, audio/visual technology, and backstage areas, making the space functional for a diversity of both college and Charlestown community uses.
“I am proud to bring in critical funding for the Bunker Hill Community College to improve their auditorium for students and residents across Charlestown,” said Senator DiDomenico. “BHCC is such an important educational facility and public space in our community, and it is a privilege to help give them the resources they need.”
The legislation—S.2962, An Act to build resilient infrastructure to generate higher-ed transformation—will update facilities and address the backlog of deferred campus maintenance by harnessing the power of ‘Fair Share’ revenues to back a new state bond issuance.
The generational investment package builds on recent Senate-led policies to make public higher education more affordable and accessible, including tuition-free community college and historic increases to financial aid. Recent advancements make a tuition- and fee-free education possible for all Pell-eligible students attending four-year universities, and allow students from moderate-income families to attend at half the cost.
An expected $2.5 billion worth of projects over the next 10 years will help cover deferred maintenance, repairs, and major capital projects through a mix of bonding and cash investments. Projects include lab modernization, workforce development facilities, and climate resilience and energy efficiency priorities. The bill will also provide support for public colleges and universities to turn unused campus property into housing or mixed-use developments, and simplify the process for selling or leasing surplus land.
To finance BRIGHT Act projects, the legislation would dedicate $125 million per year from the ‘Fair Share’ surtax on high-earning households to create and back a new special revenue bond. The state collected roughly $3 billion in total Fair Share revenues in 2025.
Looking beyond the funding and bonds that would be issued over the next 10 years, the bill ensures the state will permanently bolster the resources that are directed toward higher education capital projects. It requires that the annual $125 million stream of Fair Share surtax revenue continue to be directed toward higher education capital projects in perpetuity.
The $3.28 billion that the state would be authorized to issue in support of public higher education capital projects includes:
• $1.25 billion for projects on state university and community college campuses;
• $1.25 billion for projects on University of Massachusetts campuses;
• $120 million to support well-equipped laboratories at public higher education institutions, modern facilities to foster career-oriented collaboration between community colleges and vocational technical schools, and health facilities to promote students’ wellbeing;
• $100 million toward the creation of housing and mixed-use developments on campus properties;
• $100 million to advance regional economic and workforce development through a competitive grant program for equipment and facilities for career technical education and training programs;
• $275 million for the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) Tower Building, where high priority critical repairs are needed;
• $80 million for campus energy efficiency and decarbonization;
• $50 million for a competitive grant program for capital improvements at public higher education campuses, including climate resilience upgrades;
• $30 million for campus master planning; and
• $20 million for technology improvements that support students and facilitate remote and hybrid learning.
The Senate passed the bill on a 38-0 roll call vote and sent it to the House of Representatives for further review.