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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 788 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 569
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Julian Cyr
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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 protecting our coasts from offshore drilling.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Julian CyrCape and Islands 1 of 3
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 788 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 569
By Mr. Cyr, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 569) of Julian Cyr for legislation to
protect our coasts from offshore drilling. Environment and Natural Resources.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 464 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 protecting our coasts from offshore drilling.
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 inserting after section 4C the
2following section:-
3 Section 4D. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the
4following meanings, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:
5 "Development", those activities taking place following the discovery of oil and natural
6gas, including geophysical activity, drilling, platform construction, pipeline construction, and
7operation of all onshore support facilities that are performed for the purposes of ultimately
8producing the resources discovered.
9 "Exploration", the process of searching for oil and natural gas, including any drilling
10whether on or off known geological structures, including the drilling of a well in which a 2 of 3
11discovery of oil or natural gas is made and the drilling of any additional delineation well after the
12discovery that is needed to delineate any reservoir and a lessee to determine whether to proceed
13with development and production; and processes undertaken for the purpose of searching for oil
14or natural gas, including seismic air gun blasting.
15 "Federal waters", those waters and submerged lands lying seaward to the state waters of
16the commonwealth that appertain to the United States and are subject to federal jurisdiction and
17control.
18 "New or additional exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas",
19includes any activity undertaken to increase the capacity of any pipeline or other infrastructure
20used to convey oil or natural gas from federal waters.
21 "Production", those activities that take place after the successful completion of any means
22for the removal of oil and natural gas, including that removal, field operations, transfer or
23resources to shore, operation, monitoring, maintenance, and workover drilling; "Producing"
24means undertaking those activities.
25 (b) Notwithstanding any general law to the contrary, offshore drilling for oil or natural
26gas shall be prohibited in state waters and no tidal or submerged lands in state waters shall be
27leased for the purposes of oil or natural gas exploration, development or production. All onshore
28activities related to the development and exploration of offshore drilling for oil or natural gas for
29the purpose of establishing the development of offshore drilling for oil and natural gas in
30Massachusetts coastal waters or federal waters surrounding Massachusetts coastal waters shall be
31prohibited. 3 of 3
32 (c) The executive office of energy and environmental affairs and any office or department
33within said executive office shall not: issue any permit, approval or authorization pursuant to the
34federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 as amended, 16 U.S.C. s.1451 et seq., or any
35other state or federal law, rule, or regulation, for the development of any infrastructure or any
36activity in state waters associated with offshore drilling for oil or natural gas or increased oil or
37natural gas exploration, development or production in state waters or outside of state waters;
38enter into any lease or other conveyance of tidal or submerged lands in state waters that
39authorizes: (i) drilling for oil or natural gas; (ii) the construction or development of infrastructure
40related to increased oil and gas exploration, development or production in or outside of state
41waters; or (iii) any other exploration, development or production of oil or natural gas; renew or
42extend existing permits, leases or other conveyances or approvals for oil or natural gas
43exploration, development or production in state waters, or modify any such existing permits,
44leases or other conveyances or approvals to authorize any new or additional exploration,
45development, or production of oil or natural gas; permit, approve or otherwise authorize any oil
46or natural gas exploration, development or production in state waters; or develop, adopt or
47endorse any plans for the exploration, development or production of oil and natural gas in state
48waters.
49 (d) Nothing in this section shall prohibit activities in state waters related to repairing or
50maintaining existing infrastructure as necessary to ensure the safe operation of existing activities.
51 (e) The executive office of energy and environmental affairs shall promulgate rules and
52regulations as necessary for the implementation and enforcement of this section.