Sen. DiDomenico secures $10 million for Bunker Hill Community College

Massachusetts Senate passes BRIGHT Act to modernize and invest in public higher education facilities

Senator Sal DiDomenico successfully advocated for an additional $10 million for Bunker Hill Community College in An Act to build resilient infrastructure to generate higher-ed transformation (the BRIGHT Act), a $3.28 billion bond bill, which was unanimously passed by the Senate. The BRIGHT Act mandates investing in upgrades to public higher education campuses across Massachusetts and strengthening 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, 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.”

In November 2025, the Massachusetts House had passed (148-5) its version of the bill. As of Advocate press time, according to the Legislature’s website, a conference committee had not yet been appointed to reconcile differences between the two bills.

The legislation mandates updating facilities and addressing 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 will 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 UMass campuses
• $120 million (M) 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’ well-being
• $100M toward the creation of housing and mixed-use developments on campus properties
• $100M to advance regional economic and workforce development through a competitive grant program for equipment and facilities for career technical education and training programs
• $275M for the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) Tower Building, where high priority critical repairs are needed
• $80M for campus energy efficiency and decarbonization
• $50M for a competitive grant program for capital improvements at public higher education campuses, including climate resilience upgrades
• $30M for campus master planning
• $20M for technology improvements that support students and facilitate remote and hybrid learning