Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3723 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2349 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3723
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf
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 electrifying regional transit authorities.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf17th Worcester1/16/2025Jacob R. OliveiraHampden, Hampshire and Worcester2/12/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2349 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3723
18	18	By Representative LeBoeuf of Worcester, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3723) of
19	19	David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf and Jacob R. Oliveira for legislation to require that new electric
20	20	vehicles purchased by regional transit authorities be electric vehicles. Transportation.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
24	24	(2025-2026)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act electrifying regional transit authorities.
27	27	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
28	28	of the same, as follows:
29	29	1 SECTION 1. Section 1 of chapter 161B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
30	30	2Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following definition:-
31	31	3 “Electric vehicles,” vehicles that rely solely on electric motors for propulsion and
32	32	4includes non-combustion vehicles.
33	33	5 SECTION 2. Section 6 of said chapter 161B, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
34	34	6inserting after paragraph (r), the following paragraph:-
35	35	7 (s) The authorities shall operate electric vehicles with a priority for operating such buses
36	36	8on routes serving environmental justice populations as defined in section 62 of chapter 30.
37	37	9Authorities shall conduct robust community outreach and engagement with residents of
38	38	10environmental justice populations, municipal officials in cities and towns that have
39	39	11environmental justice populations, and with transportation and environmental justice advocates. 2 of 3
40	40	12The authorities shall implement electrification along all regional transit authorities by no later
41	41	13than December 31, 2035 and meet the following procurement targets.
42	42	14 The Secretary, in consultation with the executive office for administration and finance,
43	43	15shall require that new electric vehicles purchased by the authorities shall be electric vehicles
44	44	16according to the following deadlines: (i) 40 per cent of all purchases in 2028; (ii) 60 per cent of
45	45	17all purchases in 2030; and (iii) 80 per cent of all purchases in 2032.
46	46	18 The authorities shall report annually to the Regional Transit Authority Council
47	47	19established pursuant to section 27 of chapter 161B on the progress of electrifying their fleets. As
48	48	20part of the public reports, authorities shall include information on any fossil fuel infrastructure or
49	49	21fossil fuel-powered vehicles procured during the reporting period and the reasons for procuring
50	50	22internal combustion engines and fossil fuel infrastructure in lieu of electric vehicles and zero-
51	51	23emission infrastructure.
52	52	24 SECTION 3. Said chapter 161B is hereby amended by adding the following section:-
53	53	25 Section 28. The department of transportation shall establish a central planning and
54	54	26procurement office by December 31, 2026. The central planning and procurement office shall be
55	55	27tasked with technical, planning, grant writing, procurement, and worker retraining support for
56	56	28implementation of the electric vehicle bus rollout plans as described in section 78 and chapter
57	57	29179 of the Acts of 2022 for each individual regional transit authority by June 30, 2027.
58	58	30 The department shall provide information and support for any employees who may
59	59	31become unemployed as a result of regional transit authorities’ transition to electric buses,
60	60	32including, but not limited to, free retraining options and hiring assistance to transition to another
61	61	33role. The employers of any labor required to design, build, and maintain infrastructure as 3 of 3
62	62	34described by said rollout plans will pay a prevailing wage, be subject to project labor
63	63	35agreements, and at a minimum remain neutral to unionization efforts.
64	64	36 The department of transportation, in consultation with the executive office of energy and
65	65	37environmental affairs, shall identify sources of funding to support the implementation of the
66	66	38electric vehicle bus rollout plans and may pursue federal funding opportunities to support electric
67	67	39vehicle penetration throughout the Commonwealth in accordance with the requirements of
68	68	40chapter 21N.