Why It Matters: As the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) has covered on many occasions, Massachusetts and Maine remain the only two states in the country with an outright ban on Sunday hunting. Governor Maura Healey introduced her supplemental budget, House Bill 5377, that included a full repeal of the Sunday hunting ban, updated crossbow language to allow for full inclusion in the archery season, and reduced setbacks during the archery season from 500 feet to 250 feet. The importance of these measures cannot be understated. They are major steps forward in removing barriers in the Bay State, and NOW remain in play for passage after being stripped from the original bill.
Highlights:
- Massachusetts remains one of two states in the country with a complete prohibition on Sunday hunting — the other being a short ride north on I-95 to Maine.
- All three measures saw overwhelming support from the sporting-conservation community, backed by those in the public health community.
- Through the amendment process, all of the Governor’s pro-hunting positions have been revived and moved onto the Senate for the final conference report.
Earlier this year, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey introduced her proposed budget, which as originally written included a handful of pro-sporting provisions. As the budget process continued, these provisions were removed from the bill.
However, late Wednesday night on June 17, 2026, Massachusetts Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus House Co-Chair, Rep. David Vieira introduced amendments, restoring the original language that was stripped from H. 5377. The new bill and its amendments passed 151-0. Governor Healey called for these changes during a press conference in March of this year, describing the changes as commonsense updates for access, funding, and public health due to rising tick-borne illness affecting Bay Staters.
As stated in last week’s The Sportsmen’s Voice e-publication and podcast, the game clock has not yet hit 0:00, and as all Bay Staters can recall, being down 3-28 doesn’t mean a thing until the clock hits 0:00 in the fourth! We’re in the fourth quarter and need the Senate to do their part. The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF), in partnership with Massachusetts Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus leadership, will continue to advance the Governor’s and Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus’s priorities for the benefit of sportsmen and women.
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