HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1108        FILED ON: 1/18/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1756

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Robert M. Koczera

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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 relative to recycling grants for municipalities and state parks.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1108        FILED ON: 1/18/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1756

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

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An Act relative to recycling grants for municipalities and state parks.

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

SECTION 1. Section 323D of chapter 94 of the General Laws, as so appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by the striking out, in lines 5 through 8, inclusive, the last sentence, and inserting in place thereof, the following sentence:- Forty per cent of the amounts collected by the commission of revenue pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Municipal Recycling Grant Fund, established pursuant to section 323G.

SECTION 2. Chapter 94, of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 323E, the following section:-

Section 323G. (a) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Municipal Recycling Grant Fund, hereinafter referred to as the fund. The fund shall be credited with 40 per cent of the monies collected by the commissioner of revenue from deposit amounts for abandoned beverage containers under section 323D, any appropriation or other monies authorized by the general court which are specifically designated to be credited to the fund, and any income derived from the investment of amounts credited to the fund.

(b) The secretary of energy and the environment shall administer the fund. All amounts credited to the fund may be expended without appropriation only for the following purposes: 

(1) Not less than 70 per cent of the monies credited annually to the fund shall be awarded to municipalities through a scored-grant application process. This funding shall be used to provide funding for: solid waste reduction, recycling, littering, and composting programs and initiatives; outreach programs; sustainable material recovery programs and initiatives; and recycling equipment and infrastructure improvements. Expenditures for such programs, initiatives and infrastructure may include, but are not limited to: (i) municipal programs for recycling, litter reduction, and waste reduction, such as unit-based pricing, pay-as-you-throw (PAYT) programs, save money and reduce trash (SMART) programs, single stream recycling collection programs, organic and food waste composting programs and initiatives, and programs to increase recycling in public areas and facilities; (ii) municipal grants for waste recycling equipment and infrastructure improvements; (iii) grants for waste recycling and food waste composting in schools; (iv) programs to increase commercial and institutional recycling and composting; (v) financial assistance equipment grants for recycling service providers; (vi) municipal grants for litter cleanup and disposal, education, and enforcement of litter laws; (vii) programs for the enforcement of the solid waste regulations by the department of environmental protection; and (viii) innovative initiatives and programs to reduce or recycle solid wastes.

(2) Any remaining amounts credited annually to the fund shall be used for (i) recycling  and litter reduction measures at all state parks, state forest recreation areas, and state reservations that are maintained and under the control of the department of conservation and recreation; and for (ii) improvements to state parks, state forest recreation areas and state reservations that are under the control of the department; provided the improvements, if applicable, shall meet or exceed, the current Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building standards established by the U.S. Green Building Council.

(c) Monies deposited into the fund that are unexpended at the end of the fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund and shall be available for expenditure in the subsequent fiscal year. The fund shall be exempt from any indirect and fringe benefits assessment related to the administration of the fund.

(d) The secretary of energy and environmental affairs shall report annually, not later than January 15, to the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committees on environment, natural resources and agriculture, relative to the source and amount of funds deposited into the fund, and the amount distributed to each recipient, and the purpose and recipient of expenditures from the fund.