HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1177        FILED ON: 1/14/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Tricia Farley-Bouvier and Todd M. Smola

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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 a special commission on micro-transit.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1177        FILED ON: 1/14/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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

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An Act establishing a special commission on micro-transit.

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.  (a) There shall be a special commission on micro-transit to study existing and emerging micro-transit services in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and funding to: (i) benchmark different types of micro-transit operating models, including those operated by a regional transit authority and those operated by other entities, various types of micro-transit services, and populations dependent upon these services; (ii) assess funding sources and current limitations or outstanding funding needs related to offering micro-transit services in regions across the Commonwealth; and (iii) define micro-transit services for the purposes of determining eligibility for state funding; (iv) estimate annual state funding needed to support existing and emerging micro-transit services across the Commonwealth and propose a mechanism and frequency for reassessing such state funding estimate to account for changes in micro-transit needs and opportunities in the future; and (v) to explore micro-transit as a way to close mobility gaps, enhance connectivity across existing transit services, and address inequities in transportation access for certain geographies and populations.

(b) The commission shall consist of the following members or their designees: the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on transportation who shall serve as co-chairs; 1 member of the house of representatives, who shall be appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives; 1 member of the senate, who shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; 2 persons to be appointed by the Massachusetts Association of Regional Transit Authorities, both of whom shall be former or current administrators of a regional transit authority and 1 of whom represents a regional transit authority that serves rural communities and 1 of whom represents a regional transit authority that has offered micro-transit services; 1 person to be appointed by the Massachusetts Statewide Independent Living Council; 1 person representing the rail and transit division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation; 2 persons representing existing or emerging micro-transit service operated by an entity that is not a regional transit authority; 1 person representing the Massachusetts Department of Transportation Mobility Assistance Program; 1 person representing the Rural Policy Advocacy Commission; 1 person representing the Massachusetts Public Health Association; 1 person representing Transportation for Massachusetts; 1 person representing the Massachusetts Councils on Aging; and 2 persons to be appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be a representative of a municipality sponsoring or operating a micro-transit service and 1 of whom shall be a representative of a health care organization whose patients and employees are served by micro-transit.

(c) The commission shall file a final report of its study and recommendations with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee on transportation and the secretary of transportation not later than 15 months after this section takes effect; provided, however, that the commission may make a draft report available to the public for comment before filing its final report.