Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H314 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. 130 FILED ON: 1/6/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 314
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Bud L. Williams
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 establish the Western Massachusetts balanced sustainable development commission.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Bud L. Williams11th Hampden1/6/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 130 FILED ON: 1/6/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 314
18	18	By Representative Williams of Springfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 314) of
19	19	Bud L. Williams for legislation to establish the Western Massachusetts balanced sustainable
20	20	development commission. Community Development and Small Businesses.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE HOUSE, NO. 242 OF 2023-2024.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
26	26	(2025-2026)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act to establish the Western Massachusetts balanced sustainable development commission.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 Section 1. Whereas the Western portion of Massachusetts, specifically the Pioneer
32	32	2Valley has different characteristics than the Eastern portion, in terms of population density, types
33	33	3of industry, access of population to undeveloped land, visibility to the Boston media, and so
34	34	4forth, and
35	35	5 Whereas over time thee different characteristics have led to differentials in the impacts of
36	36	6policies and programs adopted from time to in the area of housing, fair housing, school
37	37	7integration, regional transportation, taxation, and economic development, and
38	38	8 Whereas this differential impact may have played some part in the fact that this Western
39	39	9portion of Massachusetts, now defined as the Springfield Region, has been Nationally recognized 2 of 3
40	40	10as having a generally high level of racial segregation, including the highest level of White-
41	41	11Hispanic segregation in the United States, and
42	42	12 Whereas this same area has also underperformed in comparison with the Eastern portion
43	43	13of the Commonwealth in terms of its ability to implement modern sustainability strategies such
44	44	14as mass transportation, balanced housing, and economic development in general, then
45	45	15 Section 2. Therefore it is resolved that this Western Massachusetts Balanced
46	46	16Sustainable Development Act is hereby adopted by the Massachusetts General Court to
47	47	17implement the following measures:
48	48	18 1. To mandate that a regional Sustainable Development Commission be created
49	49	19consisting of representatives of regional planning agencies in Hampden, Hampshire, and
50	50	20Franklin Counties together with representatives of organizations concerned with fair housing,
51	51	21organized labor, and chambers of commerce or similar organizations concerned with economic
52	52	22development recognized by the General Court in the impacted area to annually track and assess
53	53	23the impact of State policies on the Springfield Region and make recommendations to the General
54	54	24Court for appropriate modifications of these policies, and recommendations as to the
55	55	25appropriateness of pending legislation and other policies of the Commonwealth which may have
56	56	26a differential effect on the Region; and
57	57	27 2. To further mandate that the said Commission devise strategies of remediation or
58	58	28plans to counter any negative impacts of past policies of the Commonwealth so as to create a
59	59	29more racially and economically integrated, economically vital, and environmentally sustainable
60	60	30region in the future; and 3 of 3
61	61	31 3. To further mandate and authorize creation of a special, tax-exempt, urban and
62	62	32regional development corporation, to be controlled jointly by regional elected officials,
63	63	33representatives of business organizations, and representatives of organized labor, which shall
64	64	34have the power make contracts, acquire property through eminent domain, buy and sell bonds, as
65	65	35it sees appropriate to implement development programs and projects required to implement the
66	66	36remediation strategies and/or plans developed by the Sustainable Development Commission to
67	67	37create more balanced housing, more effective development in the fields of commercial or
68	68	38industrial development, or other development as it the Commission may determine based on its
69	69	39research and consultation with the populace and institutions of the Springfield Region and/or
70	70	40Pioneer Valley.