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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2108 FILED ON: 1/17/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 997 |
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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 | | Adam Gomez |
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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 creating an office of tenant protections. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Adam GomezHampden 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2108 FILED ON: 1/17/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 997 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Mr. Gomez, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 997) of Adam Gomez for legislation |
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| 19 | 19 | | to create an office of tenant protections within the executive office of housing and livable |
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| 20 | 20 | | communities. Housing. |
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| 21 | 21 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 22 | 22 | | _______________ |
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| 23 | 23 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | An Act creating an office of tenant protections. |
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| 27 | 27 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 28 | 28 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 29 | 29 | | 1 Chapter 23B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2amended by inserting the following section:- |
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| 31 | 31 | | 3 Section 31. There shall be within the executive office of housing and livable communities |
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| 32 | 32 | | 4an office of tenant protections. The secretary of housing and livable communities shall appoint a |
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| 33 | 33 | | 5director of the office who shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary. |
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| 34 | 34 | | 6 The office shall: (1) enforce, concurrent with the commissioner of public health and local |
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| 35 | 35 | | 7boards of health, the minimum standards of fitness for human habitation as defined by 105 CMR |
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| 36 | 36 | | 8410.000 (State Sanitary Code, Chapter II); (2) have the powers necessary to enforce the |
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| 37 | 37 | | 9standards set forth in subsection (1) including: (i) the power to inspect residences as defined by |
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| 38 | 38 | | 10105 CMR 410.010, (ii) the power to issue and serve orders of noncompliance with the minimum |
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| 39 | 39 | | 11standards of fitness for human habitation, (iii) the power to hold hearings on the orders 2 of 2 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 12mentioned in clause (ii), (iv) the power to issue fines for violations 105 CMR 410.000 in |
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| 41 | 41 | | 13accordance with 105 CMR 400.700 (3) enforce compliance with 940 CMR 3.17 |
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| 42 | 42 | | 14 Final decisions on noncompliance shall be subject to judicial appeal in the same manner |
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| 43 | 43 | | 15as those made by boards of health under 105 CMR 400.600. |
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| 44 | 44 | | 16 The executive office of housing and livable communities shall promulgate regulations or |
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| 45 | 45 | | 17guidance to carry out this section. |
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