Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H2302 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. 3838 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2302
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Kristin E. Kassner
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 expand designation of priority development sites.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Kristin E. Kassner2nd Essex1/17/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3838 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2302
18	18	By Representative Kassner of Hamilton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2302) of
19	19	Kristin E. Kassner for legislation to expand designation of priority development sites.
20	20	Municipalities and Regional Government.
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 to expand designation of priority development sites.
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. Section 2 of chapter 43D of the General Laws, as amended by section 176
30	30	2of chapter 238 of the acts of 2024, is hereby further amended by inserting before the definition of
31	31	3“Governing body” the following definition:-
32	32	4 "Community development plan", a comprehensive, strategic plan for the future of a city
33	33	5or town, which shall include, but not be limited to, a plan for: (i) new housing opportunities; (ii)
34	34	6any new commercial or industrial economic development; (iii) existing infrastructure that needs
35	35	7to serve new uses, including, but not limited to uses for water, transportation, housing or
36	36	8electricity; (iv) transportation infrastructure; (v) climate change and resiliency; or (vi) open
37	37	9space.
38	38	10 SECTION 2. Section 3 of said chapter 43D, as appearing in section 177 of said chapter
39	39	11238, is hereby amended by striking out subsection (a) and inserting in place thereof the following
40	40	12subsection:- 2 of 3
41	41	13 (a) In order for a property to receive a designation as a priority development site, the site
42	42	14or infrastructure need shall: (i) be approved by a town meeting in a town; (ii) be identified in a
43	43	15local comprehensive master plan, housing needs assessment, economic development plan,
44	44	16district or corridor plan or community development plan; (iii) be identified in a local capital
45	45	17improvement plan or a plan developed by a regional planning agency; or (iv) be part of a project
46	46	18approved by the planning board or special permit granting authority. The governing body shall
47	47	19file a formal proposal with the interagency permitting board. The proposal shall include: (A) a
48	48	20detailed description of the property; (B) attestation of the governing body’s good faith
49	49	21commitment to comply with this chapter; (C) written authorization of the property or utility
50	50	22owner as applicable; and (D) at the discretion of the governing body, a request for a technical
51	51	23assistance grant.
52	52	24 SECTION 3. Said chapter 43D is hereby further amended by inserting after section 13
53	53	25the following section:-
54	54	26 Section 13A. (a) Technical assistance funding is intended to be a one-time grant to
55	55	27municipality, if the municipality has adopted expedited permitting as provided in sections 3 to
56	56	2811, inclusive.
57	57	29 (b) A municipality shall be eligible for technical assistance funding, which may be less
58	58	30than the previous amounts awarded, for a second time if it has identified and successfully
59	59	31permitted 1 priority development site.
60	60	32 (c) The secretaries of the executive office of housing and livable communities, the
61	61	33executive office of economic development and the executive office of energy and environmental
62	62	34affairs, collectively, shall develop and implement a 2-year program to provide technical 3 of 3
63	63	35assistance and resources to cities and towns for the purpose of creating community development
64	64	36plans. Such assistance may include the provision of in-kind services or discretionary funds where
65	65	37appropriate.