Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H761 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
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22 HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1623 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
33 HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 761
44 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
55 _________________
66 PRESENTED BY:
77 Tackey Chan
88 _________________
99 To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
1010 Court assembled:
1111 The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
1212 An Act expanding pleasure boat access to Boston Harbor.
1313 _______________
1414 PETITION OF:
1515 NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Tackey Chan2nd Norfolk1/12/2023 1 of 2
1616 HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1623 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
1717 HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 761
1818 By Representative Chan of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 761) of Tackey
1919 Chan for legislation to expand pleasure boat access to Boston Harbor. Environment and Natural
2020 Resources.
2121 [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
2222 SEE HOUSE, NO. 865 OF 2021-2022.]
2323 The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
2424 _______________
2525 In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
2626 (2023-2024)
2727 _______________
2828 An Act expanding pleasure boat access to Boston Harbor.
2929 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
3030 of the same, as follows:
3131 1 SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any General Law or Special Law to the contrary, all state
3232 2and municipal public agencies and authorities owning or controlling property within the City of
3333 3Boston, including but not limited to the City of Boston and the Massachusetts Port Authority, are
3434 4hereby authorized and directed to identify and cause the establishment of mooring and docking
3535 5facilities for pleasure boats within the City of Boston, with a particular emphasis on improving
3636 6the availability to the general public of multiple useful locations for mooring or docking on a
3737 7short term (hourly or daily) basis. Said agencies or authorities shall issue one or more public
3838 8Requests for Proposals to solicit provision to the general public of the necessary or appropriate
3939 9capital facilities and operations and maintenance services, with a particular emphasis on
4040 10establishing new mooring or docking facilities available to the general public for short term 2 of 2
4141 11usage as well as on a seasonal basis. According to their respective authorizing Acts or Charters,
4242 12said public agencies or authorities may lease property, purchase property and/or enter into
4343 13memoranda of agreement with private entities or other public agencies or authorities to improve
4444 14public navigational access to Boston Harbor and the Harbor Islands for pleasure boating and to
4545 15facilitate creation of boat landing, mooring or docking facilities available to the general public.
4646 16Public agencies and authorities owning or controlling property within the City of Boston may
4747 17charge or cause to be charged reasonable, market rate fees to defray the cost of creation and
4848 18maintenance of any mooring or docking facility made available to the general public. Nothing in
4949 19this section shall be construed to limit the provision of boating facilities to the general public by
5050 20private or non-profit service providers. The City of Boston may expend funds from any account
5151 21created under section 5G of chapter 40 of the General Laws for fulfilling this section. All state
5252 22and municipal public agencies and authorities owning or controlling property in the City of
5353 23Boston jointly or separately shall file a report with the Joint Committee on Natural Resources
5454 24and Agriculture, the Commission of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the
5555 25Public Access Board on or before January 1 of each year reporting on the locations for public tie
5656 26up, mooring or docking within the City of Boston, including but not limited to the Inner Harbor
5757 27of the Port of Boston and including but not limited to non-seasonal, transient, short term public
5858 28facilities.