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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1380 FILED ON: 1/14/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3513 |
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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 | | Sally P. Kerans and Joan B. Lovely |
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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 ensure notice to abutter communities of applications to the department of public |
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| 13 | 13 | | utilities. |
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| 14 | 14 | | _______________ |
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| 15 | 15 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 16 | 16 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Sally P. Kerans13th Essex1/14/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1380 FILED ON: 1/14/2025 |
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| 18 | 18 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3513 |
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| 19 | 19 | | By Representative Kerans of Danvers and Senator Lovely, a joint petition (accompanied by bill, |
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| 20 | 20 | | House, No. 3513) of Sally P. Kerans relative to notice to abutter communities of applications to |
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| 21 | 21 | | the Department of Public Utilities. Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy. |
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| 22 | 22 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 23 | 23 | | SEE HOUSE, NO. 3800 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 ensure notice to abutter communities of applications to the department of public |
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| 30 | 30 | | utilities. |
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| 31 | 31 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 32 | 32 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 33 | 33 | | 1 Chapter 25 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:- |
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| 34 | 34 | | 2 Section 24. (a) Every applicant seeking a permit from the department for any project |
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| 35 | 35 | | 3shall, within 30 days of filing the application, notify the city or town in which the proposed |
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| 36 | 36 | | 4project will be located, to be known for the purposes of this section as the "host community", and |
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| 37 | 37 | | 5all abutting cities and towns of the proposed project application. Acceptable forms of notice shall |
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| 38 | 38 | | 6include email communication to the mayor and city council of the host community and all |
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| 39 | 39 | | 7abutting cities and the select board and town administrator or town manager of the host |
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| 40 | 40 | | 8community and all abutting towns. The words "Proposed Project Siting" shall appear in the |
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| 41 | 41 | | 9subject line of the notice email. 2 of 2 |
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| 42 | 42 | | 10 (b) The department shall send, within 60 days of receipt of any application for a permit or |
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| 43 | 43 | | 11approval of a proposed project, written notice to the mayor or town administrator or town |
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| 44 | 44 | | 12manager, city council or select board and the state representatives and state senators of the host |
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| 45 | 45 | | 13community and abutting cities and towns of the application for the proposed project. The written |
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| 46 | 46 | | 14notice pursuant to this subsection shall include the applicant name, address and contact |
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| 47 | 47 | | 15information and shall state the right of the public to give testimony on the project and shall |
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| 48 | 48 | | 16include instructions for participating in the public hearing, including the date, time and location |
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| 49 | 49 | | 17of the hearing. |
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| 50 | 50 | | 18 (c) Any applicant for a permit or approval from the department shall appear as requested |
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| 51 | 51 | | 19at a public hearing convened by the legislative body of a host community or abutting city or |
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| 52 | 52 | | 20town to describe the proposed project. Failure to appear as requested shall be communicated by |
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| 53 | 53 | | 21the legislative body requesting the hearing and shall be grounds for the department to grant |
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| 54 | 54 | | 22intervenor status to any entity that was previously excluded from the meeting. |
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