Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H744 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1129 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 744
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Bruce J. Ayers
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act establishing a revolving fund to supplement the funding of waterway projects and coastal
13	13	protection initiatives.
14	14	_______________
15	15	PETITION OF:
16	16	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Bruce J. Ayers1st Norfolk1/18/2023 1 of 3
17	17	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1129 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
18	18	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 744
19	19	By Representative Ayers of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 744) of Bruce J.
20	20	Ayers relative to the funding of waterway projects and coastal protection initiatives.
21	21	Environment and Natural Resources.
22	22	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
23	23	SEE HOUSE, NO. 850 OF 2021-2022.]
24	24	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
25	25	_______________
26	26	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
27	27	(2023-2024)
28	28	_______________
29	29	An Act establishing a revolving fund to supplement the funding of waterway projects and coastal
30	30	protection initiatives.
31	31	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
32	32	of the same, as follows:
33	33	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 91 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting the
34	34	2following new section after section 10A1/2:—Section 10A3/4. There is hereby established a
35	35	3fund to be known as the Coastal Protection and Harbor Maintenance Revolving Fund to which
36	36	4shall be credited such sums as may from time to time be provided by appropriation.
37	37	5Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the department of
38	38	6environmental management is hereby authorized and directed to utilize the appropriations
39	39	7credited to this fund for providing financial assistance to local government units to meet debt
40	40	8service obligations or bonds incurred by such local government units after January 1, 2021, to
41	41	9finance costs of coastal protection and harbor maintenance projects, or portions thereof, which
42	42	10have been approved by the department.As used in this section, the term “coastal protection and 2 of 3
43	43	11harbor maintenance project” shall mean the planning, including study, professional consultation,
44	44	12engineering, evaluation, preliminary and final design and pre-construction activity, including
45	45	13construction, supervision and purchase of equipment for post-construction maintenance for
46	46	14projects approved by the department that increase or maintain harbor access and maintain or
47	47	15augment structures that provide protection to the coastline and development along the same. The
48	48	16department shall promulgate regulations to define typical projects that are approved for
49	49	17assistance and shall therein provide a process for municipalities to submit additional proposals
50	50	18for consideration should a municipality believe that a project meets the criteria for a coastal
51	51	19protection or harbor maintenance project but is not specifically defined as such in the
52	52	20regulations. Subject to appropriation, the department shall provide financial assistance for each
53	53	21coastal protection and harbor maintenance project or portion thereof authorized by this section in
54	54	22such manner and under such terms and conditions as defined under regulations to be
55	55	23promulgated by the department, including zero or low-interest loans to the municipality, in an
56	56	24aggregate amount equal to 50 percent percent of the approved costs of such project or portion
57	57	25thereof approved by the department of environmental management. This assistance shall not be
58	58	26construed as a replacement and shall not be used in lieu of any other form of grant or other
59	59	27assistance available through the department, but shall assist municipalities in affording and
60	60	28financing their portion of approved and necessary projects.
61	61	29 The state treasurer shall enter into an agreement with the department to provide contract
62	62	30assistance to the department in whatever maximum amount is appropriated by the
63	63	31commonwealth per fiscal year. Subject to appropriation, the department is hereby authorized and
64	64	32directed to report the total annual amount of assistance authorized in each current and subsequent
65	65	33year to meet the provisions of this section and shall file the same with the house and senate 3 of 3
66	66	34committees on ways and means no later than February first of each year, such report shall also
67	67	35detail the number and aggregate amount of requests for assistance the department has received
68	68	36and is unable to provide from this account due to exhaustion of available appropriations.
69	69	37 SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage and the department of environmental
70	70	38management is directed to promulgate the rules and regulations required under this act within 90
71	71	39days after the effective date of this act.