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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3411 FILED ON: 1/17/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3938 |
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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 | | Amy Mah Sangiolo |
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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 pertaining to regional resilience and flood protection entities. |
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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:Amy Mah Sangiolo11th Middlesex1/17/2025James C. Arena-DeRosa8th Middlesex3/4/2025Marjorie C. Decker25th Middlesex3/14/2025Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex3/4/2025Patrick Joseph Kearney4th Plymouth1/28/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3411 FILED ON: 1/17/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3938 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Sangiolo of Newton, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 9) of Amy Mah Sangiolo |
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| 19 | 19 | | and others for legislation to establish the Massachusetts Flood Management and Mitigation |
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| 20 | 20 | | Authority to coordinate flood management and mitigation efforts. Environment and Natural |
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| 21 | 21 | | Resources. |
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| 22 | 22 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 23 | 23 | | _______________ |
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| 24 | 24 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 26 | 26 | | _______________ |
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| 27 | 27 | | An Act pertaining to regional resilience and flood protection entities. |
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| 28 | 28 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 29 | 29 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 30 | 30 | | 1 Chapter 21A of the General Laws, as printed in the 2022 Edition, is hereby amended by |
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| 31 | 31 | | 2inserting after Section 28 the following: |
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| 32 | 32 | | 3 Section 29. There is hereby created and placed within the office of environmental affairs |
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| 33 | 33 | | 4a body politic and corporate and a public instrumentality to be known as the Massachusetts |
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| 34 | 34 | | 5Flood Management and Mitigation Authority, referred to in this section as the Authority, which |
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| 35 | 35 | | 6shall serve to coordinate flood management and mitigation efforts by local governments, tribal |
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| 36 | 36 | | 7authorities, regional planning bodies, watershed organizations and environmental nonprofits, |
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| 37 | 37 | | 8philanthropic organizations, and other entities. |
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| 38 | 38 | | 9 (a) The Authority shall be an independent public authority not subject to the supervision |
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| 39 | 39 | | 10or control of the executive office of environmental affairs or of any other executive office, 2 of 2 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 11department, commission, board, bureau, agency or political subdivision of the commonwealth |
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| 41 | 41 | | 12except to the extent and in the manner provided in this act. |
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| 42 | 42 | | 13 (b) The Authority shall develop rules and regulations to protect the commonwealth’s |
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| 43 | 43 | | 14natural resources, infrastructure, and the property of its residents. |
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| 44 | 44 | | 15 (c) The Authority shall, with respect to itself and the entities it regulates prioritize the |
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| 45 | 45 | | 16conservation of the natural resources of the commonwealth and center equity and environmental |
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| 46 | 46 | | 17justice in all planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance and financial activities. |
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| 47 | 47 | | 18 (d) The Authority shall be empowered to plan, design, build, operate, and fund flood |
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| 48 | 48 | | 19control systems |
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| 49 | 49 | | 20 (e) The Authority shall be empowered to borrow money and issue bonds and to pledge or |
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| 50 | 50 | | 21assign or create security interests in funds or revenues of the Authority to pay or secure such |
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| 51 | 51 | | 22bonds |
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| 52 | 52 | | 23 (f) The Authority shall submit a report annually to the clerk of the house of |
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| 53 | 53 | | 24representatives, the clerk of the senate, and the joint committee on environment on natural |
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| 54 | 54 | | 25resources informing them on how the commonwealth and affiliated agencies are mitigating the |
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| 55 | 55 | | 26impact of flooding |
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