Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H1042 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. 2773 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1042
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Aaron L. Saunders
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 the Quabbin Watershed and regional equity.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Aaron L. Saunders7th Hampden1/16/2025Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester3/12/2025Jacob R. OliveiraHampden, Hampshire and Worcester3/12/2025 1 of 4
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2773 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1042
18	18	By Representative Saunders of Belchertown, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1042)
19	19	of Aaron L. Saunders for legislation to establish the the Quabbin host community trust fund.
20	20	Environment and Natural Resources.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
24	24	(2025-2026)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act relative to the Quabbin Watershed and regional equity.
27	27	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
28	28	of the same, as follows:
29	29	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 10 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
30	30	2section 35SSS the following section:-
31	31	3 Section 35TTT. (a) There shall be established and set up on the books of the
32	32	4commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Quabbin Host Community Trust Fund to be
33	33	5used, without further appropriation, by the secretary of energy and environmental affairs for the
34	34	6municipal service, public safety, and development needs of Quabbin Reservoir watershed
35	35	7communities, as defined by the department of conservation and recreation, including, but not
36	36	8limited to, lands authorized to be taken under chapter 321 of the acts of 1927 or any successor
37	37	9statute granting the taking of land for a similar purpose. All funds assessed and collected under
38	38	10section 21 of chapter 92A½ shall be deposited into the fund. Any balance in the fund at the end
39	39	11of the fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain available for expenditure in
40	40	12subsequent fiscal years. No expenditure made from the fund shall cause the fund to become 2 of 4
41	41	13deficient at any point during a fiscal year. Annually, not later than October 1, the secretary shall
42	42	14file with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives and the house and senate
43	43	15committees on ways and means a report of the fund’s activities, including but not limited to
44	44	16expenditures made and income received by the fund.
45	45	17 (b) Annually the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority shall deposit $35,000,000
46	46	18into the Quabbin Host Community Development Trust Fund, indexed to inflation. No less than
47	47	1990% of funds deposited into the fund shall be expended in each fiscal year. No less than 70 per
48	48	20cent of expenditures by the trust in each fiscal year shall be made to Quabbin Reservoir
49	49	21watershed communities for municipal operations and capital improvements, including debt
50	50	22service. No more than 25 per cent of expenditures by the trust in each fiscal year shall be made to
51	51	23non-profit and cultural organizations directly serving the health, welfare, safety, and transit needs
52	52	24of Quabbin Reservoir watershed communities as well as the Connecticut River Basin
53	53	25communities and Chicopee River Basin communities. No more than 5 per cent of expenditures
54	54	26by the trust in each fiscal year shall be to Quabbin Reservoir watershed communities for funding
55	55	27projects pursuant to section 26 of chapter 165, including costs for the operations and
56	56	28management of conduits, pipes, and hydrants constructed under the section.
57	57	29 (c) The secretary, in consultation with the several Select Boards of the Quabbin Reservoir
58	58	30watershed communities, shall establish rules and regulations for the administration of the fund.
59	59	31 SECTION 2. The third paragraph of section 5G of chapter 59 of the General Laws is
60	60	32hereby amended by striking out the second and third sentences and inserting in place thereof the
61	61	33following sentences:- Said amounts to be held in trust as payments in lieu of taxes shall be made
62	62	34on the total acreage in question that is held by each community; provided however, that the sum 3 of 4
63	63	35of said payments shall not be less than $50,000 annually, and shall be valued in accordance with
64	64	36the provisions of sections 13 to 17, inclusive, of chapter 58. In no event shall any city or town
65	65	37receive an amount less than the payment received from the metropolitan district commission in
66	66	38the prior fiscal year.
67	67	39 SECTION 3. Subsection (b) of section 3 of chapter 372 of the acts of 1984 is hereby
68	68	40amended by striking out the words “one member of the board of directors who is a resident of a
69	69	41Connecticut river basin community who represents water resources protection interests” and
70	70	42inserting in place thereof the following words:- three members of the board of directors, one of
71	71	43whom is a resident of a Quabbin Reservoir watershed community, as defined pursuant to section
72	72	4435TTT of chapter 10 of the General Laws, in Franklin county, one of whom is a resident of a
73	73	45Quabbin Reservoir watershed community in Hampshire county and one of whom is a resident of
74	74	46a Quabbin Reservoir watershed community in Worcester county, each of whom shall represent
75	75	47land and water resources protection and host community interests.
76	76	48 SECTION 4. Said subsection (b) of section 3 of chapter 372 of the acts of 1984 is hereby
77	77	49further amended by striking out the words “a Connecticut river basin community shall include
78	78	50any city or town in the commonwealth lying in whole or in part in the drainage area of the
79	79	51Connecticut river or its tributaries” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- a
80	80	52Quabbin reservoir watershed community as defined pursuant to section 35TTT of chapter 10 of
81	81	53the General Laws.
82	82	54 SECTION 5. The first sentence of subsection (d) of said section 3 of said chapter 372 is
83	83	55hereby amended by inserting after the word “reappointment” the following words:- ; provided, 4 of 4
84	84	56however, that no member of the board of directors shall serve for more than 12 years, except the
85	85	57secretary of the executive office of environmental affairs, serving ex officio.
86	86	58 SECTION 6. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, no later than
87	87	59December 31, 20256 the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority shall complete a Water
88	88	60System Expansion Evaluation of the Westfield River Basin communities, Chicopee River Basin
89	89	61communities, Connecticut River Basin communities, and Millers River Basin communities in a
90	90	62manner consistent with the Evaluation of Ipswich River Basin completed by the Authority in
91	91	63October 2022; provided, however, that notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 8 through 8D,
92	92	64inclusive, of chapter 21 of the General Laws, the Water Resources Commission shall not approve
93	93	65any interbasin transfer of water from the Quabbin Reservoir until said evaluation has been
94	94	66completed. The evaluation shall be made available on the Massachusetts Water Resources
95	95	67Authority's website and a copy shall be filed with the clerks of the house and senate and the
96	96	68house and senate chairs of the committee on environment and natural resources.
97	97	69 SECTION 7. Sections 1 of this act shall take effect on January 1, 2026.