SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1232        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2305

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Walter F. Timilty

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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 relative to expanding the MBTA reduced fare program to include veterans.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1232        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2305

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 2387 OF 2021-2022.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

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

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An Act relative to expanding the MBTA reduced fare program to include veterans.

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

Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, in coordination with the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and the Massachusetts Department of Veterans’ Services, shall conduct a study of the impacts, benefits, and costs of a veterans reduced fare program, that provides reduced or discounted transit fares to qualifying riders. The study shall include, but not be limited to, an examination of (i) number of riders who would benefit from the program, (ii) number of riders who qualify for alternate existing low-income fare programs, including but not limited to the Ride, (iii) the average reduction of each fare by mode, (iii) overall impact on fare revenue, (iv) models for determining eligibility requirements and the verification method, (v) improved methods for advertising existing reduced fare programs and the potential expansion under this study to veterans.  The report shall examine the potential for the Department of Veterans’ Services to establish a program to inform individuals who qualify for existing, and the potential expansion under this study, of reduced fare programs under the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority. The report shall be filed with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the senate and house committees on ways and means and the joint committee on transportation no later than July 31, 2023.