Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3989 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. 2434 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3989
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Kip A. Diggs
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 relative to designating seasonal communities.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Kip A. Diggs2nd Barnstable1/16/2025 1 of 2
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2434 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3989
18	18	By Representative Diggs of Barnstable, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3989) of Kip
19	19	A. Diggs relative to seasonal community housing. Housing.
20	20	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
21	21	_______________
22	22	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
23	23	(2025-2026)
24	24	_______________
25	25	An Act relative to designating seasonal communities.
26	26	Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to
27	27	address seasonal community housing in the commonwealth, therefore it is hereby declared to be
28	28	an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 SECTION 1. Section 32 of chapter 23B of the General Laws, as appearing in section 5 of
32	32	2chapter 150 of the acts of 2024, is hereby amended by striking out subsection (b) and inserting in
33	33	3place thereof the following subsection:-
34	34	4 (b) The secretary may designate a municipality as a seasonal community; provided,
35	35	5however, that all municipalities located in the counties of Dukes, Nantucket, Barnstable and
36	36	6Berkshire shall receive such designation. The executive office may designate additional
37	37	7municipalities as seasonal communities based on consideration of the following factors: (i) a
38	38	8high rate of short-term rentals in relation to the overall housing inventory; (ii) a significant
39	39	9population increase in seasonal visitors; (iii) an excessive disparity between the area median
40	40	10income and the income required to purchase the municipality's median home price; (iv) the
41	41	11percentage of housing stock that is used for seasonal, occasional or recreational use or is 2 of 2
42	42	12otherwise not used as a primary residence by the property's owner; and (v) high variations in the
43	43	13average monthly variation of employment in the sector over the full year, in relation to the
44	44	14municipality's minimum employment threshold. A municipality designated by the executive
45	45	15office as a seasonal community pursuant to this section shall accept or deny the designation by
46	46	16vote of its legislative body. The secretary shall consult with the advisory council established in
47	47	17subsection (c) to review additional municipalities under consideration to receive the seasonal
48	48	18community designation. All municipalities designated as seasonal communities shall be eligible
49	49	19for all benefits, funding and regulatory adjustments for seasonal communities under this section.
50	50	20 SECTION 2. Said section 32 of said chapter 23B, as so added, is hereby further amended
51	51	21by adding the following subsection:-
52	52	22 (i) The executive office shall prepare an annual report: (i) identifying the benefits
53	53	23provided to the municipalities in Dukes, Nantucket, Barnstable and Berkshire counties as a result
54	54	24of the seasonal communities designation pursuant to subsection (b); (ii) monitoring housing and
55	55	25economic conditions in Dukes, Nantucket, Barnstable and Berkshire counties; and (iii) providing
56	56	26any recommendations and possible legislation for improvements to the seasonal community
57	57	27designation in this section. The annual report shall be submitted, not later than December 31 of
58	58	28each year, to the chairs of the joint committee on housing and the clerks of the house of
59	59	29representatives and senate.