HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 703        FILED ON: 1/17/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1835

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Colleen M. Garry

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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 to ensure pedestrian safety on traffic islands.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 703        FILED ON: 1/17/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1835

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3005 OF 2015-2016.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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

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An Act to ensure pedestrian safety on traffic islands.

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 85 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 17A. Whoever, for the purpose of soliciting any alms, contribution or subscription or of selling any merchandise, except newspapers, or ticket of admission to any game, show, exhibition, fair, ball, entertainment or public gathering, demonstration, political campaigning stands, sits, places signs upon or signals a moving vehicle on any public way or causes the stopping of a vehicle thereon, or accosts any occupant of a vehicle stopped thereon at the direction of a police officer or signal man, or of a signal or device for regulating traffic, shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars for the first offense; seventy-five dollars for the second offense and one hundred dollars for the third or subsequent offenses. Whoever sells or offers for sale any item except newspapers within the limits of a state highway boundary without a permit issued by the department shall for the first offense be punished by a fine of fifty dollars and for each subsequent offense shall be punished by a fine of one hundred dollars.

No person shall, after given notice and warning by a police officer, persist in walking, standing, or placing signs on any roadway traffic island, except for the purpose of crossing the roadway at an intersection or designated crosswalk or for the purpose of entering or exiting a vehicle at the curb or for repairing or maintaining the traffic island. Any police officer observing any person violating this provision shall first request such person to remove himself or herself and/or signs from the traffic island and, if such person declines or refuses to do so, shall next give notice and warning and order such person to remove himself or herself and/or signs from the traffic island and may arrest such person if he or she fails to comply with such request and order.