H3320 • 2025

An Act designating the Black Swallowtail as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts official butterfly in honor of William P. Callahan III

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Daniel M. Donahue
Last action: 2026-03-02
Official status: Accompanied a study order, see H5168
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act designating the Black Swallowtail as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts official butterfly in honor of William P. Callahan III

An Act designating the Black Swallowtail as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts official butterfly in honor of William P.

What This Bill Does

An Act designating the Black Swallowtail as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts official butterfly in honor of William P.
Callahan III By Representative Donahue of Worcester, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
3320) of Daniel M.
Donahue and Angelo J.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-03-02 House
Accompanied a study order, see H5168
2025-07-30 House
Reporting date extended to Wednesday, December 3, 2025
2025-05-07 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 05/13/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2
2025-02-27 House
Referred to the committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight
2025-02-27 Senate
Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act designating the Black Swallowtail as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts official butterfly
in honor of William P. Callahan III
By Representative Donahue of Worcester, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3320) of Daniel M. Donahue and Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr., for legislation to designating the Black Swallowtail as the official butterfly of the Commonwealth. State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Bill H.3320

SECTION 1. Chapter 2 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 63 the

following section: -

Section 64. The Black Swallowtail, scientifically known as Papilio polyxenes, is hereby designated the

official butterfly of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Adorned with striking black wings accented by

yellow spots and blue hindwings, the Black Swallowtail plays a vital role in our ecosystem as a pollinator.

It symbolizes the Commonwealth's commitment to environmental stewardship.

This butterfly is a symbol of natural beauty and a reminder of Massachusetts' rich agricultural history.

Historically common in farm fields, the Black Swallowtail has adapted to various habitats, including the

many meadows, gardens, and urban areas of Massachusetts. Its selection reflects Massachusetts'

dedication to celebrating and protecting its diverse natural environment.

This designation is made in honor of William P. Callahan III, alifelong resident of Massachusetts who

passed away from cancer in August of 2021. Billy could be found chasing and photographing butterflies

throughout New England on nearly every sunny day (and even some mildly rainy ones) for the last

decade before his death. An active member of the Massachusetts Butterfly Club, he took a bucket list trip

to Costa Rica with his daughter Cara in June of 2021 to observe the wide variety of species found there. A

bench is named in his honor at the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas. His final excursion was a

walk-through of the Northampton, MA Community Garden, one of his favorite local spots.

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