HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 179        FILED ON: 1/9/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1778

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Chris Walsh

_________________

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 underground infrastructure.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Chris Walsh

6th Middlesex

1/9/2017

Shawn Dooley

9th Norfolk

1/24/2017

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

 

Leonard Mirra

2nd Essex

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 179        FILED ON: 1/9/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1778

By Mr. Walsh of Framingham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1778) of Chris Walsh and others for legislation to direct the Department of Public Utilities to promulgate rules and regulations relative to the development of underground utility infrastructure.  Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 772 OF 2015-2016.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

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

_______________

 

An Act relative to underground infrastructure.

 

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. Chapter 164 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 71 the following section:-

Section 71A.  The department shall promulgate rules and regulations in relation to the development of utility infrastructure systems that shield such infrastructure from transmission or distribution interruptions or failures including but not limited to storm damage, vandalism, security breaches, maintenance neglect, or system overload due to inadequate design capacity limits. The department shall make it a priority to create incentives for unobtrusive, hardened, shielded, underground electrical utility transmission and distribution systems wherever physically feasible. The department  is required to promulgate rules and regulations in relation to the development of infrastructure upgrade plans and hold public hearings once every 2 years to review the status, accuracy and technical feasibility of such plans.