SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2409        FILED ON: 2/19/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2130

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Michael J. Barrett

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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 convert the MBTA bus fleet to zero-emission vehicles.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2409        FILED ON: 2/19/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2130

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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

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An Act to convert the MBTA bus fleet to zero-emission vehicles.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Chapter 448 of the acts of 2016 is hereby amended by inserting after section 6 the following section:-

Section 6A. (a) Beginning January 1, 2030, each purchase or lease of a passenger bus by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall be a zero-emission vehicle; provided, however, that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall seek to replace non-zero emission passenger buses with zero-emission passenger buses before January 1, 2030 whenever feasible.

(b) The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall operate exclusively zero-emission passenger buses not later than December 31, 2040; provided, however, that a non-zero emission passenger bus purchased before January 1, 2030 may be operated after December 31, 2040 if its operation is strictly necessary to maintain service levels and if prompt plans are in place to replace the bus with a zero-emission passenger bus.

(c) The secretary of transportation and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in consultation with the executive office of energy and environmental affairs, shall develop and complete a plan to operate exclusively zero-emission passenger buses not later than December 31, 2040. The plan shall provide that a majority of buses purchased or leased during early implementation serve routes serving low-income households and households in underserved communities. Not later than 12 months from the effective date of this act, the plan shall be filed with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives and the joint committee on transportation and be made publicly available on the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s website.

Every 5 years until the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority operates exclusively zero-emission passenger buses, the secretary shall submit to the clerks of the senate and house of representatives and the joint committee on transportation and post on the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s website updated progress reports on the implementation of this subsection, including, but not limited to, the number of zero-emission passenger buses operated, the number of non-zero emission passenger buses operated, the number of zero-emission passenger buses operated on routes serving low-income households and households in underserved communities, the number of non-zero emission passenger buses operated on routes serving low-income households and households in underserved communities, barriers to increased numbers of zero-emission passenger buses, if any, and recommended legislative or regulatory action needed to address  the costs of  operating zero-emission passenger buses, including, but not limited to, staffing, training, maintenance and other mechanical equipment, facilities, and financing,  as well as any other barriers to prompt compliance with this section. For the purposes of this section, “zero-emission vehicle” shall mean a motor vehicle that produces no engine exhaust emissions. For the purposes of this subsection, “low-income” shall have the same meaning as defined under section 1 of chapter 40T of the General Laws.