Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S2277 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 2
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1762 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2277
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Susan L. Moran
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 to increase regional transit accessibility in the Commonwealth.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Susan L. MoranPlymouth and BarnstableJoanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester1/26/2023Jack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex1/30/2023Susannah M. Whipps2nd Franklin1/30/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex1/31/2023Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex2/2/2023Jacob R. OliveiraHampden, Hampshire and Worcester2/2/2023Robyn K. KennedyFirst Worcester2/6/2023Rebecca L. RauschNorfolk, Worcester and Middlesex2/6/2023John C. VelisHampden and Hampshire2/8/2023Anne M. GobiWorcester and Hampshire2/8/2023Brian M. Ashe2nd Hampden2/8/2023Mathew J. Muratore1st Plymouth2/10/2023John F. KeenanNorfolk and Plymouth2/15/2023Michael O. MooreSecond Worcester2/15/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/15/2023Pavel M. PayanoFirst Essex2/15/2023Danillo A. Sena37th Middlesex3/1/2023 2 of 2
16	16	Carlos González10th Hampden3/1/2023Jason M. LewisFifth Middlesex3/2/2023Paul R. FeeneyBristol and Norfolk3/6/2023John J. CroninWorcester and Middlesex3/8/2023Michelle L. Ciccolo15th Middlesex3/8/2023Bruce E. TarrFirst Essex and Middlesex3/10/2023 1 of 5
17	17	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1762 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
18	18	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2277
19	19	By Ms. Moran, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2277) of Susan L. Moran, Joanne M.
20	20	Comerford, Jack Patrick Lewis, Susannah M. Whipps and other members of the General Court
21	21	for legislation to increase regional transit accessibility in the Commonwealth. Transportation.
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 to increase regional transit accessibility in the Commonwealth.
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 1. Subsection (d) of section 2ZZZ of Chapter 29 of the General Laws, as
31	31	2appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out clause (2) and inserting
32	32	3in place thereof the following clause:-
33	33	4 (2) Not less than $150,000,000 in each fiscal year to regional transit authorities organized
34	34	5under chapter 161B or predecessor laws; provided, however, that notwithstanding any special or
35	35	6general law to the contrary: (i) the transfer required by this clause shall be increased by the
36	36	7inflation index as defined in section 35T of chapter 10 for the preceding 12 months as certified
37	37	8by the comptroller annually on March 1; and (ii) no transfer required under this clause shall
38	38	9exceed 103 per cent of the transfer amount for the prior fiscal year.
39	39	10 SECTION 2. Chapter 10 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
40	40	11section 35T the following section:- 2 of 5
41	41	12 Section 35T.5. As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context
42	42	13otherwise requires, have the following meanings:
43	43	14 ''Minimum revenue amount'', the dedicated revenue amount for fiscal year 2025 and for
44	44	15each fiscal year thereafter the amount credited to the Fund in the prior fiscal year, as certified by
45	45	16the comptroller on March 1 of each year, as set forth in subsection (b).
46	46	17 ''Dedicated revenue amount'', all monies received each fiscal year by the Transportation
47	47	18Infrastructure Enhancement Trust Fund as established by chapter 187 of the acts of 2016 equal to
48	48	1950 per cent of the surcharges assessed on transportation network companies, as defined in section
49	49	201 of chapter 159A1/2.
50	50	21 (a) There is hereby set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be
51	51	22known as the Regional Transit Authorities State and Local Contribution Fund, hereinafter called
52	52	23the Fund. There shall be credited to the Fund the dedicated revenue amount, provided that in any
53	53	24fiscal year the amount shall be not less than the minimum revenue amount as certified pursuant
54	54	25to subsection (b). Amounts in the Fund shall be held by the state treasurer or his designee as
55	55	26trustee and not on account of the commonwealth, and the state treasurer is hereby authorized and
56	56	27directed to disburse amounts in the Fund to the regional transit authorities organized under
57	57	28chapter 161B or predecessor laws, without further appropriation, upon the request, from time to
58	58	29time, of the administrator of each authority; provided, however, that no individual authority shall
59	59	30receive more than 1/15th of the amounts in the Fund in any given fiscal year.
60	60	31 (b) For the purposes of determining the amount to be credited to the Fund established
61	61	32pursuant to subsection (a), the comptroller shall on March 1 of each year beginning on March 1,
62	62	332024, certify the minimum revenue amount for the following fiscal year. On March 15 of each 3 of 5
63	63	34year beginning on March 15, 2024, the comptroller shall, after consultation with and based on
64	64	35projections of the department of public utilities, certify whether the dedicated revenue amount is
65	65	36projected to exceed the minimum revenue amount for the upcoming fiscal year. If the
66	66	37comptroller certifies that the projected dedicated revenue amount will be less than the minimum
67	67	38revenue amount, then the comptroller shall for the following fiscal year credit to the Fund
68	68	39amounts sufficient to meet the minimum revenue amount. If the comptroller certifies that the
69	69	40projected dedicated revenue amount will exceed the minimum revenue amount, then the
70	70	41comptroller shall for the following fiscal year credit to the Fund the dedicated revenue amount.
71	71	42On November 15 of each year beginning on November 15, 2024, the comptroller shall certify
72	72	43whether the dedicated revenue amount as of that date is projected to exceed the minimum
73	73	44revenue amount for the current fiscal year. If the comptroller certifies that the dedicated revenue
74	74	45amount is projected to be less than the minimum revenue amount, then the comptroller shall
75	75	46credit to the Fund amounts sufficient to meet the minimum revenue amount for that fiscal year. If
76	76	47the comptroller certifies that the dedicated revenue amount is greater than the minimum revenue
77	77	48amount, then the comptroller shall credit to the Fund the dedicated revenue amount. On April 1
78	78	49of each year beginning on April 1, 2025, the comptroller shall repeat the certification process
79	79	50required on November 15 and shall credit the appropriate amount to the Fund.
80	80	51 SECTION 3. Section 9 of Chapter 187 of the Acts of 2016 is hereby amended by deleting
81	81	52the words “Commonwealth Transportation Fund established in section 2ZZZ of chapter 29 of the
82	82	53General Laws” and inserting in place thereof the following words:-
83	83	54 Regional Transit Authorities State and Local Contribution Fund established in section
84	84	5535T.5 of chapter 10 of the General Laws. 4 of 5
85	85	56 SECTION 4. Section 27 of chapter 161B, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is
86	86	57hereby amended by striking the section in its entirety and replacing it with the following
87	87	58section:-
88	88	59 Section 27. There shall be a regional transit authority council for the purposes of
89	89	60coordination and sharing information and best practices in matters of security and public safety
90	90	61planning and preparedness, service delivery, cost savings, and administrative efficiencies. The
91	91	62council shall draft an annual report identifying funding, service and technical assistance needs as
92	92	63well as identifying service gaps, including gaps and barriers to 7-day a week service statewide,
93	93	64and opportunities, including opportunities for increased service within an RTA service area and
94	94	65cross RTA and MBTA services. The report shall be submitted to the secretary and to the Joint
95	95	66Committee on Transportation and the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means.
96	96	67 Members of the council shall include the administrator of each authority established
97	97	68under section 14, two persons who are frequent riders of a regional transit authority appointed
98	98	69annually by the Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies on a revolving basis,
99	99	70and a member of a Regional Planning Agency outside of the core MBTA service area. The
100	100	71secretary shall be chairman of the council and the general manager of the Massachusetts Bay
101	101	72Transportation Authority shall be a non-voting member of the council. The council shall meet no
102	102	73less than once each calendar quarter or upon the request, with reasonable notice, of the secretary.
103	103	74 SECTION 5. Section 6A of chapter 6C of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
104	104	75amended by striking out clause (8).
105	105	76 SECTION 6. Said section 6A of chapter 6C of the General Laws, as so appearing, is
106	106	77hereby amended by inserting at the end thereof, the following sentence:- 5 of 5
107	107	78 “The department shall not consider the farebox recovery ratio in funding decisions for
108	108	79transit authorities or funding formulas for contract assistance for transit authorities.”