SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1494        FILED ON: 2/17/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 506

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Brendan P. Crighton

_________________

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 the disposal of sea mammals on metropolitan beaches.

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PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Brendan P. Crighton

Third Essex

 

Nika C. Elugardo

15th Suffolk

6/22/2021


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1494        FILED ON: 2/17/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 506

By Mr. Crighton, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 506) of Brendan P. Crighton for legislation relative to the disposal of sea mammals on metropolitan beaches.  Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 440 OF 2019-2020.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

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

_______________

 

An Act relative to the disposal of sea mammals on metropolitan beaches.

 

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 or rule or regulation to the contrary, the Department of Conservation and Recreation shall not be permitted to bury any marine mammals, including seals, porpoises and whales, on metropolitan beaches that are owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and operated by the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

SECTION 2. The Department of Conservation and Recreation shall develop an appropriate policy for the disposal of these dead creatures that does not include burial on the metropolitan beaches or towing them to sea in such a way that they could wash ashore on another location.  The Department shall submit a draft of such policy to the Legislature and the Metropolitan Beaches Commission no later than July 1, 2021 in order to solicit public comment before a final policy is adopted and implemented no later than January 1, 2022.

SECTION 3. For the purposes of this section, "metropolitan beaches'' shall include the beaches as described in Subsection B in Section 70 of Chapter 3 of the Massachusetts General Laws.