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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1024 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 555
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Cynthia Stone Creem
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act to establish a grant and loan program for low-noise, low-emissions landscape
maintenance equipment.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Cynthia Stone CreemNorfolk and Middlesex 1 of 2
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1024 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 555
By Ms. Creem, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 555) of Cynthia Stone Creem for
legislation to establish a grant and loan program for low-noise, low-emissions landscape
maintenance equipment. Environment and Natural Resources.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 451 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act to establish a grant and loan program for low-noise, low-emissions landscape
maintenance equipment.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Chapter 21A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:
2 Section 29. (a) There shall be within the executive office of energy and environmental
3affairs a grant and loan program to provide incentive funds to small businesses and
4municipalities to transition landscape maintenance equipment to low-noise, low-emissions
5equipment.
6 (b) To be eligible for a grant, small businesses and municipalities shall surrender gas-
7powered landscape maintenance equipment for a one-for-one replacement with low-noise, low-
8emissions equipment. 2 of 2
9 (c) Grant and loan funds awarded pursuant to subsection (a) may be used for:
10 (1) purchasing electric landscape maintenance equipment;
11 (2) training landscaping staff on the use and care of electric landscape maintenance
12equipment;
13 (3) operational costs that may be accrued through the transition from gas-powered
14landscape maintenance equipment to electric landscape maintenance equipment; and
15 (4) any other cost associated with the transition from gas-powered landscape maintenance
16equipment to electric landscape maintenance equipment, as determined by the secretary.
17 (e) Loans awarded pursuant to subsection (a) shall carry 0 percent interest.
18 (f)(1) There is hereby established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a
19separate fund to be known as the Low-Noise, Low-Emissions Landscape Maintenance
20Equipment Trust Fund, in this section called the fund. The secretary shall be the trustee of the
21fund and may expend amounts from the fund without further appropriation.
22 (2) Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation and money
23remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund and shall be
24available for expenditure in the subsequent fiscal year.
25 (3) The secretary shall report annually, on or before August 1, to the house and senate
26committees on ways and means and the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on
27environment, natural resources, and agriculture regarding expenditure activity within the trust
28fund.