HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3655 FILED ON: 1/18/2019
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3728
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Mindy Domb
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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 that people seeking sanctuary in houses of worship be viewed as temporary residents for the purposes of state building codes and temporary shelter.
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PETITION OF:
Name: | District/Address: | Date Added: |
Mindy Domb | 3rd Hampshire | 1/18/2019 |
Christine P. Barber | 34th Middlesex | 4/8/2019 |
Peter Capano | 11th Essex | 4/8/2019 |
Michelle L. Ciccolo | 15th Middlesex | 2/1/2019 |
Joanne M. Comerford | Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester | 4/8/2019 |
Mike Connolly | 26th Middlesex | 4/8/2019 |
James B. Eldridge | Middlesex and Worcester | 4/9/2019 |
Nika C. Elugardo | 15th Suffolk | 1/30/2019 |
Tricia Farley-Bouvier | 3rd Berkshire | 1/25/2019 |
Carlos González | 10th Hampden | 1/30/2019 |
Kenneth I. Gordon | 21st Middlesex | 1/29/2019 |
Tami L. Gouveia | 14th Middlesex | 4/9/2019 |
Mary S. Keefe | 15th Worcester | 1/30/2019 |
Kay Khan | 11th Middlesex | 4/8/2019 |
David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf | 17th Worcester | 1/28/2019 |
Jack Patrick Lewis | 7th Middlesex | 4/8/2019 |
Denise Provost | 27th Middlesex | 1/31/2019 |
David M. Rogers | 24th Middlesex | 1/28/2019 |
Jon Santiago | 9th Suffolk | 4/9/2019 |
Tommy Vitolo | 15th Norfolk | 4/8/2019 |
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3655 FILED ON: 1/18/2019
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3728
By Ms. Domb of Amherst, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3728) of Mindy Domb and others relative to temporary overnight shelter for persons in need. Public Safety and Homeland Security. |
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)
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An Act to ensure that people seeking sanctuary in houses of worship be viewed as temporary residents for the purposes of state building codes and temporary shelter.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
Chapter 143 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-
Section 101. A church or place of worship that is serving as a religious sanctuary by providing temporary, overnight shelter for persons in need with the expectation that said person or persons will return to or seek alternative shelter once it is safe and possible to do so, shall be considered a temporary overnight shelter under the state building code for such purposes for as long as the church or place of worship meets the requirements of this section. For purposes of this section, a sanctuary may house 1 or more individuals on a temporary basis provided that the space used for housing meets all the life safety requirements of an R1 use group under the state building code, except for the requirement for sprinkling that portion of the church or house of worship being used as a sanctuary or the entire church building. For the purposes of this section, the word temporary shall mean until that person or persons can find other sanctuary or until the need for that person or persons to be housed in a sanctuary is resolved.
The board of building regulation and standards shall, upon application, grant a certificate of occupancy as a temporary overnight shelter pursuant to this section to a church or place of worship that meets the requirements of this section; provided, that such certificate of occupancy shall not be subject to a specific time limit; and provided, further, that said church or place of worship shall comply with the state building code requirements for temporary overnight shelters and shall be subject to local health, safety and fire inspections to ensure such compliance.