Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H774 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. 781 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 774
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Josh S. Cutler and Patrick Joseph Kearney
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 creating a special commission to scope a state grant or low interest loan program for
13	13	properties prone to flooding.
14	14	_______________
15	15	PETITION OF:
16	16	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Josh S. Cutler6th Plymouth1/6/2023Patrick Joseph Kearney4th Plymouth1/20/2023 1 of 3
17	17	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 781 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
18	18	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 774
19	19	By Representatives Cutler of Pembroke and Kearney of Scituate, a petition (accompanied by bill,
20	20	House, No. 774) of Josh S. Cutler and Patrick Joseph Kearney for legislation to establish a
21	21	special commission (including members of the General Court) to investigate the possibility of
22	22	creating a state grant or low interest loan program for properties prone to flooding. Environment
23	23	and Natural Resources.
24	24	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
25	25	SEE HOUSE, NO. 874 OF 2021-2022.]
26	26	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
27	27	_______________
28	28	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
29	29	(2023-2024)
30	30	_______________
31	31	An Act creating a special commission to scope a state grant or low interest loan program for
32	32	properties prone to flooding.
33	33	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
34	34	of the same, as follows:
35	35	1 SECTION 1. (a) Notwithstanding any special or general law, there shall be a special
36	36	2commission, established and governed by section 2A of chapter 4 of the General Laws, to scope
37	37	3a state grant or low-interest loan program for structural elevation or acquisition of properties
38	38	4prone to flooding in the commonwealth. Components of consideration for the structure of the
39	39	5program shall include: (i) funding sources; (ii) eligible expenses; (iii) applicant eligibility; (iv)
40	40	6the establishment of a cost-benefit analysis in determining applicant eligibility; (v) risks and
41	41	7hazards identified in the integrated state hazard mitigation and climate adaptation plan and
42	42	8strategies to build resiliency; and (vi) program expenditures and pay outs. 2 of 3
43	43	9 (b) The special commission shall consist of: the secretary of energy and environmental
44	44	10affairs or a designee, who shall serve as the commission chair; 2 members of the house of
45	45	11representatives, 1 of whom shall be appointed by the minority leader; 2 members of the senate, 1
46	46	12of whom shall be appointed by the minority leader; the chair of the state board of building
47	47	13regulation and standards or a designee; the director of the office of coastal zone management or a
48	48	14designee; 2 persons to be appointed by the director of the Massachusetts Emergency
49	49	15Management Agency, 1 of whom shall be a contractor with experience in home elevations and 1
50	50	16of whom shall be an insurance agent with knowledge in flood insurance and experience in
51	51	17guiding and consulting for mitigation activities; the acting state hazard mitigation officer of the
52	52	18state hazard mitigation team; the acting hazard mitigation grants supervisor of the state hazard
53	53	19mitigation team; a licensed lender with knowledge in flood insurance, 203K home loan lending
54	54	20and traditional loans used for mitigation activities who shall be appointed by the acting state
55	55	21hazard mitigation officer of the state hazard mitigation team; and 3 persons to be appointed by
56	56	22the governor, 1 of whom shall be a representative from a statewide environmental group with
57	57	23experience in coastal resiliency strategies and nature based solutions, 1 of whom shall be a
58	58	24representative of the executive office of energy and environmental affairs with knowledge of
59	59	25climate change adaptation, and 1 of whom shall be a representative from the executive office of
60	60	26public safety and security with knowledge of the federal hazard mitigation grant program and
61	61	27experience with mitigation activities. The first meeting of the special commission shall take
62	62	28place not later than December 1, 2020.
63	63	29 (c) The special commission shall submit its preliminary draft of any recommendations or
64	64	30legislation to the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate and the joint committee on
65	65	31environment, natural resources and agriculture not later than September 1, 2021. The special 3 of 3
66	66	32commission shall submit its final draft of the program scope, together with any additional
67	67	33recommendations or drafts of legislation necessary to carry those recommendations into effect,
68	68	34by filing the same with the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate and the joint
69	69	35committee on environment, natural resources and agriculture not later than December 1, 2022.