SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1632        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1861

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Adam G. Hinds

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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 resolve:

Resolve establishing a PILOT reimbursement commission.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1632        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1861

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

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Resolve establishing a PILOT reimbursement commission.

Resolved, that there shall be a commission to study the valuation and distribution of payments in lieu of taxes to cities and towns for commonwealth-owned land. The commission shall: (i) examine the current methods used to determine valuations for parcels of land owned by the commonwealth to be reimbursed; (ii) examine the formula used to distribute those reimbursements to municipalities; (iii) evaluate the effectiveness and equity of the formula; and (iv) make recommendations to establish a formula that considers the current needs of municipalities.

The commission shall analyze reimbursement financing for payments in lieu of taxes including, but not limited to: (i) the correlation between changes in acreage of commonwealth-owned land and available funding for payments in lieu of taxes for commonwealth-owned land: (ii) the extent to which the formula reflects the needs of municipalities and the proportional distribution of payments in lieu of taxes for commonwealth-owned land: (iii) any disparities that exist among municipalities related to reimbursements for payments in lieu of taxes for commonwealth-owned land: (iv) the economic impacts of reimbursements for payments in lieu of taxes for commonwealth-owned land on local economies: and (v) any alternative formulas, processes and methods that may create a more equitable distribution of reimbursements for payments in lieu of taxes for commonwealth-owned land.

The commission shall include: the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on revenue, who shall serve as co-chairs or their designees; the secretary of administration and finance or a designee; the commissioner of revenue or a designee; the secretary of energy and environmental affairs or a designee; the commissioner of conservation and recreation or a designee; the governor or a designee; the speaker of the house or a designee; the senate president or a designee; the minority leader of the house of representatives or a designee; the minority leader of the senate or a designee; the chair of the house committee on ways and means or a designee; the chair of the senate committee on ways and means or a designee; and 1 person to be appointed by each of the following organizations: the Massachusetts Municipal Association; the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy; the rural policy advisory commission; and the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, Inc.

The commission shall file a report of its findings and recommendations, including any new or revised payment in lieu of taxes reimbursement formulas, with the clerks of the house of representatives and senate and the chairs of the senate and house committees on ways and means no later than July 1, 2020.