Good afternoon, and thank you for the opportunity to testify.

My name is Mary Ann Stewart, and I’m a resident of Lexington, a community-based educator, and a creative advocate for sustainability. Through my workshops on visible mending and natural dyeing, I engage neighbors of all ages in the beauty of reuse, repair, and reconnection, often with a simple needle and thread.

But as we stitch together worn garments, we’re also unspooling stories about the true cost of fashion: polluted rivers, invisible emissions, and toxic waste embedded in every seam.

That’s why I’m speaking today in strong support of Bill H.1032.

This legislation gives us a practical way to reshape the narrative. It calls on fashion companies making over $100 million a year to be transparent about their supply chains, reduce their climate impact, and manage hazardous chemicals more responsibly. These aren't radical demands, they’re the baseline of accountability our planet and communities deserve.

Massachusetts has an opportunity to lead by asking a simple, essential question: What does it mean to sell here?

To me, it should mean you treat our air, water, and ecosystems with respect. It should mean your practices reflect your promises. H.1032 provides the framework to make that expectation enforceable.

Let’s not mend broken systems with empty threads. Let’s pass a policy that matches our values and leads with integrity.

Thank you.

Mary Ann Stewart, 

Rawson Ave, Lexington