HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 518        FILED ON: 1/25/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3092

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Susannah M. Whipps

_________________

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 PILOT compensation to towns with a high percentage of state owned land.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Susannah M. Whipps

2nd Franklin

1/25/2021

Maria Duaime Robinson

6th Middlesex

2/18/2021

Christopher Hendricks

11th Bristol

2/18/2021

Joanne M. Comerford

Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester

2/19/2021

Mathew J. Muratore

1st Plymouth

2/22/2021

Natalie M. Blais

1st Franklin

2/24/2021

Michael S. Day

31st Middlesex

2/26/2021

Jonathan D. Zlotnik

2nd Worcester

2/26/2021

Donald R. Berthiaume, Jr.

5th Worcester

2/26/2021

Paul W. Mark

2nd Berkshire

2/26/2021


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 518        FILED ON: 1/25/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3092

By Ms. Whipps of Athol, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3092) of Susannah M. Whipps and others for legislation to establish a special commission (including members of the General Court) to study establishment of a payment in lieu of taxes program to fairly compensate cities and towns with significant amounts of non-taxable property.  Revenue.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2658 OF 2019-2020.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

_______________

 

An Act relative to PILOT compensation to towns with a high percentage of state owned land.

 

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. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there is hereby established a special commission to create a Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program to fairly compensate cities and towns with significant amounts of non-taxable property. The commission shall also study the feasibility of including in the PILOT program land classified under Chapter 61 and Chapter 61A, as well as land protected by a legal conservation restriction.

The commission shall consist of the commissioner of the division of capital asset management and maintenance, or a designee;  the commissioner of the department of revenue, or a designee; three members of the house of representatives, two of whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the house, and one of whom shall be appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives; three members of the senate, two of whom shall be appointed by the senate president, and one of whom shall be appointed by the senate minority leader; and five members who shall be appointed by the governor; one of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, one of whom shall be a representative of the Rural Policy Advisory Commission, one of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Association of Regional Planning Agencies, and two of whom shall be residents of municipalities with large amounts of non-taxable property.

The commission shall meet not fewer than four times per year at the discretion of the chair. Meeting locations shall rotate between Boston, Cape Cod and the Islands, central Massachusetts, and western Massachusetts.  Meetings shall be open to the public pursuant to sections 18 to 25, inclusive, of chapter 30A.

The commission shall annually, not later than December 31, 2022, report that results of its findings and activities of the preceding year to the governor and to the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, who shall forward the same to the committees on ways and means and the committees on revenue.