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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1370 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2285
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Jacob R. Oliveira
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act electrifying Regional Transit Authorities.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Jacob R. OliveiraHampden, Hampshire and WorcesterDavid Henry Argosky LeBoeuf17th WorcesterJulian CyrCape and IslandsJack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex1/30/2023John F. KeenanNorfolk and Plymouth2/14/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/21/2023Marc R. PachecoThird Bristol and Plymouth2/23/2023 1 of 3
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1370 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2285
By Mr. Oliveira, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2285) of Jacob R. Oliveira, David
Henry Argosky LeBoeuf, Julian Cyr, Jack Patrick Lewis and other members of the General
Court for legislation to electrify Regional Transit Authorities. Transportation.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act electrifying Regional Transit Authorities.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 1 of Chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following definitions:-
3 “Electric vehicles” are vehicles that rely solely on electric motors for propulsion and
4includes non-combustion vehicles.
5 SECTION 2. Section 6 of chapter 161B, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting
6after paragraph (r), the following paragraph:-
7 (s) The authorities shall operate electric vehicles with a priority for operating such buses
8on routes serving environmental justice populations as defined in section 62 of chapter 30 of the
9General Laws. Authorities shall conduct robust community outreach and engagement with
10residents of environmental justice populations, municipal officials in cities and towns that have
11environmental justice populations, and with transportation and environmental justice advocates. 2 of 3
12The authorities shall implement electrification along all regional transit authorities by no later
13than December 31, 2035 and meet the following procurement targets.
14 The Secretary, in consultation with the executive office for administration and finance,
15shall require that new electric vehicles purchased by the authorities shall be electric vehicles
16according to the following deadlines: (i) 40 per cent of all purchases in 2025; (ii) 60 per cent of
17all purchases in 2028; (iii) 80 per cent of all purchases in 2032; and (iv) 90 per cent of all
18purchases in 2034.
19 The authorities shall report annually beginning June 30, 2024 to the Regional Transit
20Authority Council pursuant to Section 27 of chapter 161B the progress of electrifying the bus
21fleet. As part of the public reports, authorities shall explain the cost analysis of all procurements
22of fossil fuel infrastructure and the reasons for procuring internal combustion engines and fossil
23fuel infrastructure in lieu of electric vehicles and zero-emission infrastructure.
24 SECTION 3. The department of transportation shall establish a central planning and
25procurement office by August 30, 2024. The central planning and procurement office shall be
26tasked with technical, planning, grant writing, procurement, and worker retraining support for
27implementation of the electric vehicle bus rollout plans. The department of transportation central
28planning and procurement office shall create an electric vehicle bus rollout plan as described in
29section 78 and chapter 179 of the Acts of 2022 for each authority by June 30, 2025.
30 Any employees who become unemployed as a result of the transition to electric buses
31from implementation of this act will be provided with free retraining options and hiring
32assistance to transition to another role. The employers of any labor required to design, build, and 3 of 3
33maintain infrastructure related to RTA electric buses will pay a prevailing wage, be subject to
34project labor agreements, and at a minimum remain neutral to unionization efforts.
35 The department of transportation in consultation with the Secretary shall identify sources
36of funding to support the implementation of the electric vehicle bus rollout plans and may pursue
37federal funding opportunities to support electric vehicle penetration throughout the
38Commonwealth in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 21N.