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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3685 FILED ON: 1/17/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1532 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Bradley H. Jones, Jr. |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act establishing a commission to study the impact of shifting residential broker fees from |
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| 13 | 13 | | tenants to landlords. |
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| 14 | 14 | | _______________ |
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| 15 | 15 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 16 | 16 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Bradley H. Jones, Jr.20th Middlesex1/17/2025Kimberly N. Ferguson1st Worcester1/17/2025Paul K. Frost7th Worcester1/31/2025Todd M. Smola1st Hampden3/10/2025David K. Muradian, Jr.9th Worcester1/29/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3685 FILED ON: 1/17/2025 |
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| 18 | 18 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1532 |
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| 19 | 19 | | By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1532) of |
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| 20 | 20 | | Bradley H. Jones, Jr. and others for an investigation by a special commission (including |
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| 21 | 21 | | members of the General Court) relative to the impact of shifting residential broker fees from |
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| 22 | 22 | | tenants to landlords. Housing. |
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| 23 | 23 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
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| 25 | 25 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 27 | 27 | | _______________ |
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| 28 | 28 | | An Act establishing a commission to study the impact of shifting residential broker fees from |
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| 29 | 29 | | tenants to landlords. |
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| 30 | 30 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 31 | 31 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 32 | 32 | | 1 SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be a |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2special commission to study and provide recommendations on the potential economic and social |
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| 34 | 34 | | 3impacts of shifting the responsibility of paying real estate broker fees from tenants to landlords |
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| 35 | 35 | | 4in residential leasing transactions within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. |
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| 36 | 36 | | 5 The commission shall investigate and document the following: (1) the economic burden |
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| 37 | 37 | | 6on landlords and tenants resulting from such a policy change; (2) the effects on the rental |
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| 38 | 38 | | 7housing market, including affordability, availability, and stability; (3) the impacts on real estate |
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| 39 | 39 | | 8brokerage practices and fees; (4) comparisons with jurisdictions that have implemented similar |
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| 40 | 40 | | 9policies; and (5) any anticipated legal, regulatory, or practical challenges. |
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| 41 | 41 | | 10 SECTION 2. The commission shall consist of the secretary of housing and livable |
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| 42 | 42 | | 11communities, or a designee, who shall serve as chair; 1 member of the house of representatives 2 of 2 |
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| 43 | 43 | | 12appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 1 member of the senate appointed by |
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| 44 | 44 | | 13the president of the senate; 1 member of the house of representatives appointed by the minority |
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| 45 | 45 | | 14leader of the house of representatives; 1 member of the senate appointed by the minority leader |
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| 46 | 46 | | 15of the senate; 2 members appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall represent the |
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| 47 | 47 | | 16Massachusetts Association of Realtors, and 1 of whom shall represent a tenant advocacy |
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| 48 | 48 | | 17organization; and one economist with expertise in housing policy, to be appointed by the |
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| 49 | 49 | | 18governor. |
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| 50 | 50 | | 19 SECTION 3. The executive office of housing and livable communities shall provide |
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| 51 | 51 | | 20technical and administrative support to the commission. The commission shall hold at least 3 |
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| 52 | 52 | | 21public hearings in geographically diverse regions of the commonwealth to solicit feedback from |
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| 53 | 53 | | 22tenants, landlords, brokers, and other stakeholders. |
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| 54 | 54 | | 23 SECTION 4. The commission shall file its report, including its findings and |
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| 55 | 55 | | 24recommendations, along with any drafts of proposed legislation, with the clerks of the house of |
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| 56 | 56 | | 25representatives and the senate, the house and senate committees on ways and means, and the |
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| 57 | 57 | | 26joint committee on housing no later than 12 months after the effective date of this act. |
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