SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1361        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 83

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

James B. Eldridge

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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 authorizing municipalities to expend certain funds for the acquisition of land to be used for rail trails.

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PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

 

Carmine Lawrence Gentile

13th Middlesex

 

Rebecca L. Rausch

Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex

1/24/2019

Joanne M. Comerford

Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester

1/31/2019

Denise Provost

27th Middlesex

1/31/2019

Lindsay N. Sabadosa

1st Hampshire

2/6/2019

Edward J. Kennedy

First Middlesex

2/6/2019

Maria Duaime Robinson

6th Middlesex

2/7/2019

Paul R. Feeney

Bristol and Norfolk

11/5/2019


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1361        FILED ON: 1/17/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 83

By Mr. Eldridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 83) of James B. Eldridge, Carmine Lawrence Gentile, Rebecca L. Rausch, Joanne M. Comerford and other members of the General Court for legislation to authorize municipalities to expend certain funds for the acquisition of land to be used for rail trails.  Community Development and Small Businesses.

 

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 authorizing municipalities to expend certain funds for the acquisition of land to be used for rail trails.

 

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 7 of chapter 44B of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-

The legislative body of a city or town that votes to accept sections 3 to 7, inclusive, may expend monies from the fund for the purpose of acquiring land held for railroad purposes to be used by the city or town  for recreational purposes as a rail trail.  Notwithstanding subsection (a) of section 12, land acquired pursuant to this paragraph may be subject to any property interest, including restrictions or reversionary interests, required to be held by the grantor or the United States pursuant to the National Trails System Act of 1968, codified at 16 U.S.C. section 1241, et seq.  Notwithstanding any provision of the definition of “real property interest” in section 2 to the contrary, land acquired pursuant to this paragraph shall be considered a real property interest for purposes of this chapter.