HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2646        FILED ON: 1/16/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3564

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Amy Mah Sangiolo and Greg Schwartz

_________________

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 infrastructure replacement projects.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Amy Mah Sangiolo

11th Middlesex

1/16/2025

Vanna Howard

17th Middlesex

5/7/2025

Lindsay N. Sabadosa

1st Hampshire

5/27/2025

Mike Connolly

26th Middlesex

6/4/2025

Danillo A. Sena

37th Middlesex

8/28/2025

Carmine Lawrence Gentile

13th Middlesex

10/24/2025

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

12/2/2025


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2646        FILED ON: 1/16/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3564

By Representatives Sangiolo of Newton and Schwartz of Newton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3564) of Amy Mah Sangiolo relative to natural gas infrastructure replacement projects.  Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

_______________

 

An Act relative to infrastructure replacement projects.

 

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. Subsection (b) of section 145 of chapter 164 of the General Laws, as appearing in section 81 of chapter 239 of the acts of 2024, is hereby amended by inserting after the words “with the department” the following words:- and affected municipalities.

SECTION 2. Said subsection (b) of said section 145 of said chapter 164, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the second sentence the following sentence:- The plan shall be for a minimum of 4 years and shall include a list of all street segments and priority rating of those segments.

SECTION 3. Said subsection (b) of said section 145 of said chapter 164, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the third sentence the following 2 sentences:- The affected municipality shall have 4 months to review and submit objections or recommendations for repair, retirement or other non-pipeline alternative. Notice of any objections shall become part of the approved plan.

SECTION 4. The first paragraph of subsection (c) of said section 145 of said chapter 164, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the words “and (vii)” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- (vii) a list of all street segments and their priority rating for elimination; and (viii).

SECTION 5. Subsection (d) of said section 145 of said chapter 164, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the words “department review” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- department and municipal review.

SECTION 6. Said subsection (d) of said section 145 of said chapter 164, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the words “request of a gas company” the following words:- or the municipality,.

SECTION 7. Subsection (e) of said section 145 of said chapter 164, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “part” the following words:- only after any municipal objection has been resolved.

SECTION 8. Subsection (f) of said section 145 of said chapter 164, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-

Except for emergency conditions and other changes due to adjustments to pipe segment priorities, there shall be no plan reimbursement for any leak-prone pipe project that either was not listed in a plan in the past 2 years or that has received a municipal objection which had not been resolved either by agreement or department decision.