Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3637 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. 4162 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3637
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Mike Connolly
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 implementing free public transit.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Mike Connolly26th Middlesex1/17/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4162 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3637
18	18	By Representative Connolly of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3637) of
19	19	Mike Connolly relative to implementing free public transit. Transportation.
20	20	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
21	21	SEE HOUSE, NO. 3287 OF 2023-2024.]
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
25	25	(2025-2026)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act implementing free public transit.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 SECTION 1. Chapter 10 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
31	31	2section 35PPP the following section:-
32	32	3 Section 35QQQ. (a) There shall be set upon the books of the commonwealth a separate
33	33	4fund to be known as the Public Transportation Affordability Fund to be administered by the
34	34	5Massachusetts Department of Transportation. There shall be credited to the fund: (i) amounts
35	35	6collected pursuant to clause (v) of paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of section 39 of chapter 63; (ii)
36	36	7all revenues or other financing sources directed to the fund by appropriation, including revenues
37	37	8collected pursuant to Article CXXI of the Massachusetts Constitution; and (iii) any income
38	38	9derived from the investing of all amounts credited to the fund. Monies credited to the fund may
39	39	10be expended by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to the Massachusetts Bay 2 of 3
40	40	11Transportation Authority established pursuant to section 2 of chapter 161A, and regional transit
41	41	12authorities, established pursuant to section 3 of chapter 161B, without further appropriation, for
42	42	13the purpose of funding free public transportation services.
43	43	14 (b) The department shall annually file a report with the governor, clerks of the house of
44	44	15representatives and the senate and the joint committee on transportation detailing the activity of
45	45	16the fund.
46	46	17 SECTION 2. Paragraph (2) of subsection (a) of section 39 of chapter 63 of the General
47	47	18Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the words “or (iv) for tax years
48	48	19beginning on or after January 1, 2012, 8.0 per cent of its net income determined to be taxable in
49	49	20accordance with this chapter” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- (iv) for tax
50	50	21years beginning on or after January 1, 2012, 8.0 per cent of its net income determined to be
51	51	22taxable in accordance with this chapter; or (v) for tax years beginning on or after January 1,
52	52	232025, 8.75 per cent of its net income determined to be taxable in accordance with this chapter;
53	53	24provided, however, that an amount equal to 0.75 per cent of the business corporation’s net
54	54	25income determined to be taxable pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Public
55	55	26Transportation Affordability Fund.
56	56	27 SECTION 3. Chapter 161A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the
57	57	28following 2 sections:-
58	58	29 Section 53. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the authority shall
59	59	30not collect a fare from riders for the use of bus transportation services. 3 of 3
60	60	31 Section 54. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the authority shall
61	61	32not collect a fare from riders for the use of rapid transit, light rail or commuter rail transportation
62	62	33services.
63	63	34 SECTION 4. Chapter 161B of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the
64	64	35following section:-
65	65	36 Section 28. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, no regional transit
66	66	37authority shall collect a fare from riders for the use of bus transportation services.