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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 526 FILED ON: 1/9/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 310 |
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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 | | Chynah Tyler |
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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 to establish a commission to review equitable city planning and development. |
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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:Chynah Tyler7th Suffolk1/9/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 526 FILED ON: 1/9/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 310 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Tyler of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 310) of Chynah |
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| 19 | 19 | | Tyler for legislation to establish within the Department of Housing and Community |
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| 20 | 20 | | Development a commission to review equitable city planning and development. Community |
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| 21 | 21 | | Development and Small Businesses. |
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| 22 | 22 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 23 | 23 | | SEE HOUSE, NO. 238 OF 2023-2024.] |
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| 24 | 24 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 28 | 28 | | _______________ |
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| 29 | 29 | | An Act to establish a commission to review equitable city planning and development. |
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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 Chapter 23B of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 5B the |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2following section:- |
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| 34 | 34 | | 3 Section 5C. (a) As used in this section the following terms shall, unless the context |
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| 35 | 35 | | 4clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings: |
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| 36 | 36 | | 5 “Anti-displacement”, mitigation of the displacement of persons of color, immigrants, |
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| 37 | 37 | | 6low- and moderate-income residents, persons with disabilities and members of other protected |
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| 38 | 38 | | 7classes that may result from new development or substantial reconstruction, condemnation of |
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| 39 | 39 | | 8property or other code enforcement, eminent domain takings, discrimination, gentrification, |
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| 40 | 40 | | 9rising costs of living, zoning changes, limited housing availability or other causes. 2 of 2 |
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| 41 | 41 | | 10 “Fair housing”, fair and equitable access to and opportunity in housing, free from |
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| 42 | 42 | | 11prejudice, intolerance, bigotry and discrimination in housing. Fair housing shall include, but not |
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| 43 | 43 | | 12be limited to, compliance with (i) federal fair housing laws, including 42 U.S.C. § 1982 et seq. |
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| 44 | 44 | | 13and 42 U.S.C. § 3601 et seq.; and (ii) state laws relative to nondiscrimination in housing, |
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| 45 | 45 | | 14including section 4 of chapter 151B. |
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| 46 | 46 | | 15 “Local planning and development agency”, a (i) redevelopment authority, as defined in |
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| 47 | 47 | | 16section 1 of chapter 121B; (ii) municipal department of planning and development; or (iii) other |
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| 48 | 48 | | 17municipal division responsible for the evaluation of land-development and use proposals for a |
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| 49 | 49 | | 18municipality with a population more than 100,000 persons. |
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| 50 | 50 | | 19 (b) There shall be within the department a commission on equitable city planning and |
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| 51 | 51 | | 20development. The commission shall consist of the director of the department or a designee, the |
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| 52 | 52 | | 21executive director of the Massachusetts commission against discrimination or a designee and a |
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| 53 | 53 | | 22tenant advocate to be appointed by the attorney general. |
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| 54 | 54 | | 23 (c) The commission shall require each local planning and development agency to |
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| 55 | 55 | | 24periodically create an assessment of fair housing and anti-displacement in the municipality. |
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| 56 | 56 | | 25Following each assessment, the local planning and development agency shall develop a plan to |
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| 57 | 57 | | 26strengthen and improve fair housing and anti-displacement in the municipality. The local |
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| 58 | 58 | | 27planning and development agency shall submit said plan to the department. |
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| 59 | 59 | | 28 (d) The department may promulgate rules and regulations necessary to carry out this |
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| 60 | 60 | | 29section. |
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