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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1642 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3752
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Norman J. Orrall
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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 relative to greener and healthier transportation corridors.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Norman J. Orrall12th Bristol1/15/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1642 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3752
By Representative Orrall of Lakeville, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3752) of
Norman J. Orrall for legislation to establish a special commission (including members of the
General Court) to recommend strategies to improve the land usage of transportation corridors.
Transportation.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3391 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 relative to greener and healthier transportation corridors.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Notwithstanding any general provisions or special laws to the contrary, there shall be a
2special commission to recommend strategies to improve the land usage of the transportation
3corridors of the Commonwealth for decreasing noise, light, and air pollution as well as
4maximizing carbon sequestration and energy generation. The commission shall consist of the
5chief of the office of climate innovation and resilience, the secretary of transportation, and the
6secretary of energy and environmental affairs , who shall serve as the co-chairs, the
7Massachusetts Department of Transportation highway administrator, or their designee; the
8Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority general manager, or their designee; the
9commissioner of the department of conservation and recreation, or their designee; 3 individuals
10appointed by the governor; provided, 1 shall be a specialist in the field of transportation 2 of 2
11maintenance and operations, 1 shall be a specialist in the field of transportation related pollutants
12and 1 shall be a resident of a designated environmental justice community abutting a
13transportation corridor; the president of the senate, or their designee; the speaker of the house, or
14their designee; the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on transportation, or their
15respective designees; the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on the environment,
16natural resources and agriculture, or their respective designees; the senate and house minority
17leaders, or their respective designees. The commission shall make a comprehensive study of
18utilizing transportation right of ways to provide natural solutions to reduce transportation related
19pollutants and increase carbon sequestration as well as for low carbon energy generation. The
20commission shall review each agencies maintenance and design practices. The study shall also
21include a financial analysis that includes up front construction costs as well as long term
22maintenance costs of the implementation of new natural solutions compared to current practices.
23The commission shall report to the joint committee on transportation, the joint committee on the
24environment, natural resources and agriculture and the house and senate committees on ways and
25means, the finding and recommendations, if any, together with drafts of legislation necessary to
26carry the recommendations into effect by filing the same with the clerks of the senate and house
27of representatives on or before December 31, 2026.