HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3264        FILED ON: 1/20/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3145

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Natalie M. Blais

_________________

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 expanding community access to electric bicycles.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Natalie M. Blais

1st Franklin

1/20/2023

Mindy Domb

3rd Hampshire

1/23/2023

Lindsay N. Sabadosa

1st Hampshire

1/20/2023

Joanne M. Comerford

Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester

2/13/2023

Jennifer Balinsky Armini

8th Essex

2/26/2023

Natalie M. Higgins

4th Worcester

3/14/2023

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

3/16/2023

Simon Cataldo

14th Middlesex

4/19/2023

Michael P. Kushmerek

3rd Worcester

4/24/2023

Rebecca L. Rausch

Norfolk, Worcester and Middlesex

7/5/2023

Samantha Montaño

15th Suffolk

10/24/2023

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

11/15/2023

Rob Consalvo

14th Suffolk

1/25/2024

Paul McMurtry

11th Norfolk

1/30/2024


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3264        FILED ON: 1/20/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3145

By Representative Blais of Deerfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3145) of Natalie M. Blais and others that the Department of Energy Resources establish the community access to electric bicycles grant initiative.  Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

_______________

 

An Act expanding community access to electric bicycles.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Chapter 25A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 11J. THE COMMONWEALTH COMMUNITY ACCESS TO ELECTRIC BICYCLES GRANT INITIATIVE

(a) The department of energy resources shall establish THE COMMUNITY ACCESS TO ELECTRIC BICYCLES GRANT INITIATIVE to help finance bike share programs and ownership programs that municipalities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations administer.

(b) A local municipality, business, or nonprofit organization awarded money under the grant initiative may use the money to purchase and maintain electric bicycles, equipment, and infrastructure for its bike share program or ownership program, pay labor costs related to implementation of the program, and cover the direct and indirect administrative costs that the local municipality, business, nonprofit organization, or a third-party contractor incurs in implementing the program.

(c) To be eligible to apply for money under the grant initiative, a municipality, business, or nonprofit organization must administer themselves, or contract with a third party to administer, a bike share program using a fleet of electric bicycles, or an ownership program offering an electric bicycle to a specific individual or household.

(d) In administering the grant initiative, the department of energy resources shall establish an application process for local municipalities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations to apply for the money under the grant initiative. The department of energy resources shall develop criteria for awarding grant money; giving priority to local municipalities, businesses, and nonprofit organizations offering a program in one or more environmental justice or disproportionately impacted communities.

(e) The department of energy resources shall require that local municipalities, businesses, or nonprofit organizations provide at least a certain percentage of matching money for the initiative.

(f) The department of energy resources shall develop periodic reporting requirements for a grantee to demonstrate that the money awarded is being used in compliance with the purposes of this section, as well as procedures for addressing a grantee’s noncompliance with this section, including procedures for reimbursement of money awarded.

(g) The department of energy resources may use up to ten percent of the money in the fund to cover its direct and indirect costs incurred in administering the grant initiative in this section.