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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1314 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3508
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Bradley H. Jones, Jr.
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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 study gasoline-focused sales-below-cost.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Bradley H. Jones, Jr.20th Middlesex1/14/2025Kimberly N. Ferguson1st Worcester1/15/2025Paul K. Frost7th Worcester1/31/2025Todd M. Smola1st Hampden3/10/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1314 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3508
By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3508) of
Bradley H. Jones, Jr. and others for legislation to establish a special commission (including
members of the General Court) to study gasoline-focused sales-below-cost.
Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3181 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 study gasoline-focused sales-below-cost.
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. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be a
2special commission to study and provide recommendations on the feasibility of eliminating
3gasoline-focused sales-below-cost (SBC) laws for all gasoline station fuel sales in the
4commonwealth. The commission shall seek to find the quantifiable effects of gasoline-focused
5sales-below-cost laws in the commonwealth. The study shall seek to use an econometric fixed-
6effects model with longitudinal and state panel data to examine the effects of SBC laws on the
7weighted average price of unleaded gasoline, the wholesale price of gasoline, and the number of
8sellers in the retail gasoline sector. The commission shall investigate states in the United States
9that do not have SBC laws and determine the feasibility of instituting a similar approach in the
10commonwealth. The commission shall make determinations on the economic feasibility of 2 of 2
11repealing SBC laws in the commonwealth. The commission shall take into account market
12concentration, wholesale prices, and retail prices. The commission shall make recommendations
13on guidelines and approaches to dealing with SBC laws and estimates of potential savings for
14consumers. The commission's recommendations may include but are not limited to retaining the
15law, raising or lowering the gasoline price floor, or repealing the law entirely. The commission
16shall seek input from statisticians and econometricians to determine the best method to model
17and approach this topic to achieve the most robust and sound results.
18 SECTION 2. The commission shall consist of the house and senate chairs of the joint
19committee on economic development and emerging technologies, who shall serve as the co-
20chairs; the speaker of the house of representatives or a designee; the president of the senate or a
21designee; the house minority leader or a designee; the senate minority leader or designee; and 4
22persons who have extensive knowledge in the economics of industrial organization, consumer
23welfare, and statistical methodologies, who shall be appointed by the chairs in consultation with
24the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. The commission shall hold no less than four public
25hearings.
26 SECTION 3. The commission shall submit its report and findings, along with any
27recommendations, to the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee
28on economic development and emerging technologies, and the clerk of the house of
29representatives and the clerk of the senate 12 months after the passage of this legislation.