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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 541 FILED ON: 1/9/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3777 |
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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 | | Lindsay N. Sabadosa |
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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 relative to an interstate compact for western MA rail service. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/9/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 541 FILED ON: 1/9/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3777 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Sabadosa of Northampton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3777) |
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| 19 | 19 | | of Lindsay N. Sabadosa relative to establishing a compact with neighboring states to improve rail |
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| 20 | 20 | | service to the western region of the Commonwealth. Transportation. |
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| 21 | 21 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 22 | 22 | | _______________ |
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| 23 | 23 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | An Act relative to an interstate compact for western MA rail service. |
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| 27 | 27 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 28 | 28 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 29 | 29 | | 1 SECTION 1. The secretary of transportation is hereby authorized and directed to develop, |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2participate in the development of, negotiate and enter into compacts on behalf of the |
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| 31 | 31 | | 3Commonwealth with the states of Connecticut, New York, and Vermont, or any appropriate |
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| 32 | 32 | | 4agency or jurisdiction thereof, to implement the following purposes: |
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| 33 | 33 | | 5 (a) It shall be the purpose of this compact, through means of joint and cooperative action |
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| 34 | 34 | | 6among the compacting states to: (i) establish permanent commuter rail service between the cities |
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| 35 | 35 | | 7of New Haven and Brattleboro including stops in Greenfield, Holyoke, Northampton, and |
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| 36 | 36 | | 8Springfield; (ii) establish permanent commuter rail service between the cities of Worcester and |
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| 37 | 37 | | 9Albany including stops in Pittsfield, Chester, Springfield, and Palmer; (iii) explore the extension |
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| 38 | 38 | | 10of the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail Program along the Knowledge Corridor through |
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| 39 | 39 | | 11Holyoke, Northampton, Greenfield, and Brattleboro; (iv) publicly promote permanent commuter |
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| 40 | 40 | | 12rail services connecting Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire Counties to Albany, 2 of 2 |
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| 41 | 41 | | 13Boston, Brattleboro, Hartford, and New Haven, and undertake efforts to ensure the success of |
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| 42 | 42 | | 14permanent commuter rail service in Western Massachusetts. |
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| 43 | 43 | | 15 (b) It shall be the policy of the compacting states that the activities conducted by any |
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| 44 | 44 | | 16interstate commissions created are the formation of public policies and therefore are public |
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| 45 | 45 | | 17business. Furthermore, the compacting states shall cooperate and observe their individual and |
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| 46 | 46 | | 18collective duties and responsibilities to ensure the success of any programs established. The |
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| 47 | 47 | | 19provisions of this compact shall be reasonably and liberally construed to accomplish the |
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| 48 | 48 | | 20purposes and policies of the compact. |
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