Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S1084 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 307 FILED ON: 1/12/2023
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1084
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Patrick M. O'Connor
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 relative to preventing ocean littering.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Patrick M. O'ConnorFirst Plymouth and Norfolk 1 of 2
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 307 FILED ON: 1/12/2023
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1084
18	18	By Mr. O'Connor, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1084) of Patrick M. O'Connor for
19	19	legislation relative to preventing ocean littering. The Judiciary.
20	20	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
21	21	SEE SENATE, NO. 1121 OF 2021-2022.]
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
25	25	(2023-2024)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act relative to preventing ocean littering.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 Section 16 of Chapter 270 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
31	31	2striking the section in its entirety and replacing it with the following:-
32	32	3 “Section 16. Whoever places, throws, deposits or discharges or whoever causes to be
33	33	4placed, thrown, deposited or discharged, trash, bottles or cans, refuse, rubbish, garbage, debris,
34	34	5scrap, waste or other material of any kind on a public highway or within 20 yards of a public
35	35	6highway, or on any other public land, or on property of another, or on lands dedicated for open
36	36	7space purposes, including lands subject to conservation restrictions and agricultural preservation
37	37	8restrictions as defined in chapter 184, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $5,500 for the
38	38	9first offense and a fine not to exceed $15,000 for each subsequent offense; provided, however,
39	39	10that 50 per cent of the fine imposed shall be deposited in the conservation trust established in 2 of 2
40	40	11section 1 of chapter 132A and the court may also require that the violator remove, at his own
41	41	12expense, the trash, refuse, rubbish, debris or materials. The permission of the owner of land to
42	42	13place, throw, deposit or discharge trash, refuse, rubbish, garbage, debris, scrap, waste or other
43	43	14material on the owner's land shall constitute a defense in any trial for such offense.
44	44	15 Whoever places, throws, deposits or discharges or whoever causes to be placed, thrown,
45	45	16deposited or discharged, trash, bottles or cans, refuse, rubbish, garbage, debris, scrap, waste or
46	46	17other material of any kind upon coastal or inland waters, as defined in section 1 of chapter 131,
47	47	18or within 20 yards of such waters shall be punished by a fine of not more than $6,800 for the first
48	48	19offense and a fine not to exceed $18,750 for each subsequent offense; provided, however, that 50
49	49	20per cent of the fine imposed shall be deposited in the conservation trust established in section 1
50	50	21of chapter 132A and the court may also require that the violator remove, at his own expense, the
51	51	22trash, refuse, rubbish, debris or materials.”