Healy unveils 'Mass Leads' bill in Worcester, seeks $1 billion life‑sciences reauthorization and new AI funding

Governor Maura Healey, joined by her economic team and local leaders, introduced the Mass Leads Act this morning at MBI in Worcester, describing it as an economic‑development bill designed to reauthorize Massachusetts' life‑sciences initiative at $1 billion over 10 years and to expand investments in AI, biomanufacturing and regional economic growth.

"Today, we're here to talk about the Mass Leads Act. It's an economic development bill that we recently filed," Governor Maura Healey said, framing the proposal as a decade‑long plan to "lengthen our lead" in life sciences and related industries. She urged the state to invest in biomanufacturing "from lab to fab" to keep companies and jobs in Massachusetts and to broaden workforce access.

Why it matters: Officials said the package seeks to preserve and extend the commonwealth's competitive edge in life sciences — where they say Massachusetts has drawn roughly $6 billion in private investment since 2008 and hosts 18 of the 20 largest biopharma companies — while directing new money at artificial intelligence, climate tech and regional hubs.

Yvonne Hao, the state secretary of economic development, said the administration converted its recently published economic‑development plan into legislation and filed it with the Legislature. "Last Friday, Governor Healy filed the plan as a bill. So it's the Mass Leads bill," Hao said. She described the bill as containing "specific resources, funding, programs [and] policy changes" to implement the plan.

Key priorities spelled out by the administration include:
- A reauthorization of the life‑sciences initiative for 10 years at an authorization level described by local speakers as $1 billion;
- A proposed $100 million fund to back an AI leadership initiative and an AI task force;
- State support to seed regional biomanufacturing hubs as a complement to federal grant competitions the administration said it pursued.

Local partners and institutions emphasized workforce and regional benefits. An MBI representative cited an internal analysis finding "more than 1,200 biomanufacturing jobs" coming to the region in the next few years and urged readiness to fill those positions. Secretary Hao highlighted partnerships among state agencies, academic institutions and local industry and said the plan grew out of statewide listening sessions that drew more than 1,300 participants.

Officials positioned the bill as an investment rather than an expense, and Healy highlighted broader aims including health‑equity measures tied to life‑sciences investment and potential climate‑tech applications of biological manufacturing. Hao added that the bill also addresses small businesses, rural communities and gateway cities, and includes on‑ramp training for biomanufacturing careers.

The administration said it has handed the bill to legislative partners for consideration; no vote or legislative action was recorded during the event. The governor and state officials did not provide a legislative timetable at the event.