Supporters of reopening Norwood Hospital traveled to the Massachusetts State House in February to testify in favor of legislation that would allow the state to take the hospital property by eminent domain.

A group of residents, local officials, first responders, and members of the Finish Norwood Hospital Task Force attended a Feb. 12 hearing before the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight to advocate for House Bill 5047.

The bill, filed by state Rep. John H. Rogers and state Sen. Michael F. Rush, would authorize the state’s Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM) to seize the land beneath the former Norwood Hospital site on an emergency basis. The goal is to preserve the property for future health care use and facilitate reopening the hospital under a new operator.

“This bill empowers the Commonwealth to take a proactive, strategic role in planning for regional health care infrastructure,” Rogers said during the hearing, citing ongoing concerns about access to care since the hospital’s closure.

Norwood General Manager Tony Mazzucco also testified, highlighting increased ambulance transport times and limited access to critical services.

“Particularly if you were to have a heart attack in Norwood — or Walpole, or Wrentham, or Sharon, or Canton, or Dedham, or Foxborough, or Mansfield — you are 40 minutes from getting the appropriate care,” Mazzucco said. “The best hospitals in the world do not matter if patients can’t reach them.”

Norwood Hospital has been closed since June 2020, when severe flooding forced its evacuation. Prior to its closure, the hospital served approximately 126,000 patients annually and operated a 130-plus-bed acute care facility with an emergency department.

Town officials launched the Finish Norwood Hospital campaign in 2025 to advocate for reopening the site. The task force includes health care providers, public health officials, labor leaders, emergency responders, and local and state officials.

The proposed legislation remains under consideration as state leaders continue to evaluate options for restoring hospital services to the region.