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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 564 FILED ON: 1/10/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 905 |
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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 | | Tackey Chan |
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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 expanding pleasure boat access to Boston Harbor. |
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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:Tackey Chan2nd Norfolk1/10/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 564 FILED ON: 1/10/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 905 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Chan of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 905) of Tackey |
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| 19 | 19 | | Chan for legislation to expand pleasure boat access to Boston Harbor. Environment and Natural |
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| 20 | 20 | | Resources. |
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| 21 | 21 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 22 | 22 | | SEE HOUSE, NO. 761 OF 2023-2024.] |
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| 23 | 23 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
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| 25 | 25 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 27 | 27 | | _______________ |
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| 28 | 28 | | An Act expanding pleasure boat access to Boston Harbor. |
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| 29 | 29 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 30 | 30 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 31 | 31 | | 1 Notwithstanding any General Law or Special Law to the contrary, all state and municipal |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2public agencies and authorities owning or controlling property within the City of Boston, |
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| 33 | 33 | | 3including but not limited to the City of Boston and the Massachusetts Port Authority, are hereby |
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| 34 | 34 | | 4authorized and directed to identify and cause the establishment of mooring and docking facilities |
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| 35 | 35 | | 5for pleasure boats within the City of Boston, with a particular emphasis on improving the |
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| 36 | 36 | | 6availability to the general public of multiple useful locations for mooring or docking on a short |
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| 37 | 37 | | 7term (hourly or daily) basis. Said agencies or authorities shall issue one or more public Requests |
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| 38 | 38 | | 8for Proposals to solicit provision to the general public of the necessary or appropriate capital |
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| 39 | 39 | | 9facilities and operations and maintenance services, with a particular emphasis on establishing |
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| 40 | 40 | | 10new mooring or docking facilities available to the general public for short term usage as well as 2 of 2 |
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| 41 | 41 | | 11on a seasonal basis. According to their respective authorizing Acts or Charters, said public |
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| 42 | 42 | | 12agencies or authorities may lease property, purchase property and/or enter into memoranda of |
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| 43 | 43 | | 13agreement with private entities or other public agencies or authorities to improve public |
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| 44 | 44 | | 14navigational access to Boston Harbor and the Harbor Islands for pleasure boating and to facilitate |
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| 45 | 45 | | 15creation of boat landing, mooring or docking facilities available to the general public. Public |
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| 46 | 46 | | 16agencies and authorities owning or controlling property within the City of Boston may charge or |
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| 47 | 47 | | 17cause to be charged reasonable, market rate fees to defray the cost of creation and maintenance |
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| 48 | 48 | | 18of any mooring or docking facility made available to the general public. Nothing in this section |
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| 49 | 49 | | 19shall be construed to limit the provision of boating facilities to the general public by private or |
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| 50 | 50 | | 20non-profit service providers. The City of Boston may expend funds from any account created |
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| 51 | 51 | | 21under section 5G of chapter 40 of the General Laws for fulfilling this section. All state and |
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| 52 | 52 | | 22municipal public agencies and authorities owning or controlling property in the City of Boston |
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| 53 | 53 | | 23jointly or separately shall file a report with the Joint Committee on Natural Resources and |
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| 54 | 54 | | 24Agriculture, the Commission of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and the Public |
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| 55 | 55 | | 25Access Board on or before January 1 of each year reporting on the locations for public tie up, |
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| 56 | 56 | | 26mooring or docking within the City of Boston, including but not limited to the Inner Harbor of |
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| 57 | 57 | | 27the Port of Boston and including but not limited to non-seasonal, transient, short term public |
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| 58 | 58 | | 28facilities. |
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