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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 919 FILED ON: 1/14/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2271 |
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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 | | William C. Galvin, (BY REQUEST) |
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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 relative to non-criminal dispositions of municipal bylaws and acts of nature. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Steven Merrill1/14/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 919 FILED ON: 1/14/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2271 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Galvin of Canton (by request), a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. |
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| 19 | 19 | | 2271) of Steven Merrill relative to municipal bylaws for prevention of damage from certain |
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| 20 | 20 | | trees. Municipalities and Regional Government. |
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| 21 | 21 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 22 | 22 | | _______________ |
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| 23 | 23 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | An Act relative to non-criminal dispositions of municipal bylaws and acts of nature. |
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| 27 | 27 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 28 | 28 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 29 | 29 | | 1 SECTION 1. Section 21 of chapter 40 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 6, the words “three hundred dollars” |
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| 31 | 31 | | 3and inserting in place thereof the following words:- $1000. |
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| 32 | 32 | | 4 SECTION 2. Said section 21 of said chapter 40, as so appearing, is hereby further |
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| 33 | 33 | | 5amended by inserting after clause (24) the following clause:- |
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| 34 | 34 | | 6 (25) For preventing damage from the falling of unhealthy, damaged, dying, hazardous or |
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| 35 | 35 | | 7neglected trees, within such portions of their limits and to such extent as they deem expedient. |
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| 36 | 36 | | 8The penalty for a violation of such ordinance or by-law shall apply to the owner of the property |
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| 37 | 37 | | 9on which the tree stood prior to its fall, or to their agent having the care thereof. Any fines |
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| 38 | 38 | | 10recovered pursuant to this clause in accordance with section 21D shall be paid as restitution to |
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| 39 | 39 | | 11the person aggrieved by the violation of this clause; provided, that if no specific person was |
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| 40 | 40 | | 12aggrieved by the violation, the fines recovered shall be paid to the municipality. 2 of 2 |
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| 41 | 41 | | 13 SECTION 3. Section 21D of said chapter 40, as so appearing, is hereby amended by |
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| 42 | 42 | | 14striking out, in line 46, the words “three hundred dollars” and inserting in place thereof the |
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| 43 | 43 | | 15following words:- $1000. |
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