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