HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1003        FILED ON: 1/17/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 81

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Danillo A. Sena

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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 establishing free broadband internet access in public housing.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1003        FILED ON: 1/17/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 81

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 137 OF 2021-2022.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

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An Act establishing free broadband internet access in public housing.

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. Chapter 111 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 239. The United Nations has declared health a fundamental human right indispensable for the exercise of other human rights and that the right to health is closely related to and dependent upon the realization of other human rights, as contained in the International Bill of Rights, including the rights to food, housing, work, education, human dignity, life, non-discrimination, equality, the prohibition against torture, privacy, access to information, and the freedoms of association, assembly and movement. Broadband internet access is now an essential component of the realization of many of these human rights and is itself a human right.

The department shall make a study into broadband internet access in the commonwealth and its relation to the public health objectives of the commonwealth. Said study shall be conducted for the purposes of understanding how broadband internet access is a determinant of health, improving the public health services of the commonwealth, and expanding broadband internet throughout the Commonwealth to reflect its status as a human right, with a focus on communities that have suffered disproportionate health impacts as a result of lack of access to broadband internet.

SECTION 2. Section 32 of chapter 121B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “cost”, in line 6, the following words:- ,with broadband internet available in all units offered at no charge to residents considered a requirement of a decent, safe and sanitary dwelling

SECTION 3.The first paragraph of said section 32, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the third sentence the following sentence:- For the purposes of this paragraph, broadband internet shall not be considered a utility.

SECTION 4. Said first paragraph of said section 32, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by adding the following sentence:- Funds to subsidize housing authorities or other public housing bodies for implementation and maintenance of the requirement of no charge broadband internet for all units shall be appropriated by the general court. The undersecretary shall administer these funds.