Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S1973 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 846 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1973
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	James B. Eldridge
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 affordable housing and environmental adaptation dollars.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and WorcesterJames K. Hawkins2nd Bristol2/11/2025Jason M. LewisFifth Middlesex2/27/2025 1 of 6
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 846 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1973
18	18	By Mr. Eldridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1973) of James B. Eldridge, James
19	19	K. Hawkins and Jason M. Lewis for legislation relative to the imposition of an excise tax to
20	20	provide for climate change adaptation infrastructure and affordable housing investments in the
21	21	Commonwealth. Revenue.
22	22	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
23	23	SEE SENATE, NO. 1799 OF 2023-2024.]
24	24	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
25	25	_______________
26	26	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
27	27	(2025-2026)
28	28	_______________
29	29	An Act relative to affordable housing and environmental adaptation dollars.
30	30	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
31	31	of the same, as follows:
32	32	1 SECTION 1. Section 35GGG of chapter 10 of the General Laws, as appearing in the
33	33	22022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “year”, in line 96, the
34	34	3following words:- ; provided further, that said limitation shall not apply to funds deposited in the
35	35	4fund pursuant to section 1 of chapter 64D; provided further, that the amounts expended shall be
36	36	5allocated with due consideration given to: (1) environmental justice populations as defined in
37	37	6section 62 of chapter 30; (2) a reasonable distribution of resources across the commonwealth;
38	38	7and (3) other factors in the interests of justice. Before making grants or loans for the upcoming
39	39	8fiscal year, the secretary of energy and environmental affairs shall develop a spending plan no
40	40	9later than August 1. The spending plan shall be posted to a publicly accessible website in a
41	41	10machine readable format. 2 of 6
42	42	11 SECTION 2. Section 1 of chapter 64D of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
43	43	12amended by striking out the words “two dollars” each time they appear and inserting in place
44	44	13thereof the following words:- two dollars and twenty eight cents, plus an additional and separate
45	45	14fee of one dollar and fourteen cents that shall be deposited on the first day of February into the
46	46	15Global Warming Solutions Trust Fund established by section 35GGG of chapter 10, plus an
47	47	16additional and separate fee of sixty-eight cents that shall be deposited into the Affordable
48	48	17Housing Trust Fund as established by section 2 of chapter 121D, plus an additional and separate
49	49	18fee of forty-six cents that shall be deposited into the Housing Preservation and Stabilization Trust
50	50	19Fund as established by section 60 of chapter 121B; provided, further, that all monies deposited in
51	51	20the Global Warming Solutions Trust in accordance with this section shall support the planning
52	52	21and implementation of policy recommendations required in each of the Commonwealth’s Clean
53	53	22Energy and Climate plans or development and initiation of programs pursuant to sections 5 and 6
54	54	23of chapter 8 of the acts of 2021; provided further, that funds deposited in the Global Warming
55	55	24Solutions Trust in accordance with this section shall prioritize investments with environmental
56	56	25justice populations as defined in section 62 of chapter 30; provided further, that the expenditure
57	57	26of funds deposited in the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Housing Preservation and Stabilization
58	58	27Trust Fund, Global Warming Solutions Trust in accordance with this section shall prioritize
59	59	28investments with consideration of regional equity.
60	60	29 SECTION 3. Section 6 of chapter 62 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
61	61	30amended by adding the following subsections:-
62	62	31 (ee) (1) As used in this subsection, the words contained in this subsection shall have the
63	63	32same meanings as the definitions in subsection (k). 3 of 6
64	64	33 (2) A taxpayer shall be allowed a credit equal to 25 per cent of a payment made pursuant
65	65	34to section 1 of chapter 64D against the taxes imposed by this chapter if that person sold their
66	66	35residence during the taxable year. If the amount of the credit allowed under this subsection
67	67	36exceeds the taxpayer's tax liability, the commissioner shall treat the excess as an overpayment
68	68	37and shall pay the taxpayer the entire amount of the excess without interest.
69	69	38 (3) The credit shall be available only if the taxpayer is low-income as defined pursuant to
70	70	39section 1 of chapter 40T.
71	71	40 (4) No credit shall be allowed for a married individual unless a joint return is filed.
72	72	41 (5) No credit shall be allowed by this subsection with respect to the sale on more than one
73	73	42residence of any taxpayer during any taxable year.
74	74	43 (6) Any credit provided by this subsection shall not be counted as income in determining
75	75	44eligibility or benefits under any other means-tested assistance program, including but not limited
76	76	45to all such cash, food, medical, housing, energy and educational assistance programs.
77	77	46 (ff) (1) As used in this subsection, the following words shall have the same meaning as
78	78	47the definitions in subsection (k).
79	79	48 (2) A taxpayer shall be allowed a credit equal to 25 per cent of a payment made pursuant
80	80	49to section 1 of chapter 64D against the taxes imposed by this chapter if the taxpayer sold their
81	81	50residence during the taxable year to a first-time home buyer; provided, further, that if there are
82	82	51multiple persons recorded on the deed all persons must be first-time homebuyers for the taxpayer
83	83	52to be allowed this credit.
84	84	53 (3) No credit shall be allowed for a married individual unless a joint return is filed. 4 of 6
85	85	54 (4) No credit shall be allowed by this subsection with respect to the sale on more than one
86	86	55residence of any taxpayer during any taxable year.
87	87	56 (5) Any credit provided by this subsection shall not be counted as income in determining
88	88	57eligibility or benefits under any other means-tested assistance program, including but not limited
89	89	58to all such cash, food, medical, housing, energy and educational assistance programs.
90	90	59 SECTION 4. Said section 1 of said chapter 64D, as so appearing, is hereby further
91	91	60amended by striking out, in line 15, the words “one dollar and fifty cents” and inserting in place
92	92	61thereof the following words:- one dollar and seventy-one cents, plus an additional and separate
93	93	62fee of eighty-six cents that shall be deposited into the Global Warming Solutions Trust Fund
94	94	63established by said section 35GGG of said chapter 10, plus an additional and separate fee of
95	95	64fifty-one cents that shall be deposited into the Affordable Housing Trust Fund as established by
96	96	65section 2 of chapter 121D, plus an additional and separate fee of thirty-four cents that shall be
97	97	66deposited into the Housing Preservation and Stabilization Trust Fund as established by section
98	98	6760 of chapter 121B; provided, however, that all monies deposited in the Global Warming
99	99	68Solutions Trust in accordance with this section shall support the planning and implementation of
100	100	69policy recommendations required in each of the Commonwealth’s Clean Energy and Climate
101	101	70plans pursuant to Sections 5, and development and initiation of programs required in Section 6,
102	102	71of Chapter 8 of the Acts of 2021; provided further, that priority shall be given to investments in
103	103	72environmental justice populations as defined in Section 62 of Chapter 30; provided further, that
104	104	73the amounts deposited in said trust funds shall be reduced proportionalely by the amounts of
105	105	74aggregate amount of the credits claimed under subsection (ee) and subsections (ff) of section 6 of
106	106	75chapter 62 during the previous calendar year; provided further, that the expenditure of funds
107	107	76deposited in Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Housing Preservation and Stabilization Trust 5 of 6
108	108	77Fund in accordance with this section shall prioritize investments with consideration of regional
109	109	78equity.
110	110	79 SECTION 5. Said section 1 of said chapter 64D, as so appearing, is hereby further
111	111	80amended by striking out, in line 20, the words “in said Funds” and inserting in place thereof the
112	112	81following words:- received pursuant to this chapter, except for the monies collected and
113	113	82deposited in the Global Warming Solutions Trust Fund established by said section 35GGG of
114	114	83chapter 10, the Affordable Housing Trust Fund established by section 2 of chapter 121D, and the
115	115	84Housing Preservation and Stabilization Trust Fund established by section 60 of chapter 121B.
116	116	85 SECTION 6. Section 10 of said chapter 64D, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
117	117	86inserting after the word “commonwealth,” in line 2, the following words:- except for the monies
118	118	87collected and deposited into the separate funds as required by this chapter.
119	119	88 SECTION 7. Section 60 of chapter 121B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
120	120	89amended by inserting after the word, “homeless”, in line 21, the following words:- provided
121	121	90further, that the amounts expended shall be allocated with due consideration given to: (1) racial
122	122	91justice; (2) a reasonable distribution of resources across the commonwealth; and (3) other factors
123	123	92in the interests of justice.
124	124	93 SECTION 8. Said section 60 of said chapter 121B, as so appearing, is hereby further
125	125	94amended by inserting after the word, “plan”, in line 23, the following words:- , developed in
126	126	95consultation with racial justice-oriented stakeholders and the Massachusetts Association of
127	127	96Regional Planning Agencies,. 6 of 6
128	128	97 SECTION 9. Subsection (e) of said section 60 of said chapter 121B, as so appearing, is
129	129	98hereby amended by inserting after the fifth sentence the following sentence:- The spending plan
130	130	99shall be posted to a publicly accessible website in a machine readable format.
131	131	100 SECTION 10. Section 2 of chapter 121D of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
132	132	101amended by inserting after the word “Development”, in line 11, the following words:- provided
133	133	102further, that the amounts expended shall be allocated with due consideration given to: (1) racial
134	134	103justice; (2) a reasonable distribution of resources across the commonwealth; and (3) other factors
135	135	104in the interests of justice. Before making grants or loans for the upcoming fiscal year, the agency,
136	136	105in consultation racial justice-oriented stakeholders and the Massachusetts Association of
137	137	106Regional Planning Agencies, shall develop a spending plan no later than August 1. The spending
138	138	107plan shall be posted to a publicly accessible website in a machine readable format.
139	139	108 SECTION 11. Section 23 of chapter 546 of the acts of 1969 is hereby repealed.
140	140	109 SECTION 12. This act shall take effect on January 1, 2026.