SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1885        FILED ON: 1/16/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Paul R. Feeney

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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 solar energy grants at posts of veterans' organizations.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1885        FILED ON: 1/16/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 2126 OF 2023-2024.]

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 relative to solar energy grants at posts of veterans' organizations.

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

Section 2 of Chapter 29 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 2RRRRR.

(a) As appearing in the following section the following word shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meaning:

“Veterans’ organization”, any veterans' organization incorporated by the Congress of the United States.

(b) There is hereby established and set up on the books of the commonwealth an expendable trust to be known as the Veterans' Organization Posts solar program. The secretary of energy and environmental affairs shall establish a grant program to provide solar energy technology to Veterans organizations, that any such grant shall be expended for solar energy technology at the local Veterans' organization's headquarters location, hall, or post; provided further, that 100 per cent of the solar energy produced by said technology will benefit the awarded local Veterans organization. The amounts credited to the trust shall be available for expenditure, subject to appropriation, not to exceed $500,000 in a fiscal year, for the costs associated with purchasing and installing solar energy generating equipment for Veterans organizations that meet criteria set forth by the secretary; provided, that not less than 10 grants shall be awarded per fiscal year; provided further, that no grant amount shall exceed $50,000; and provided further, that grants shall be awarded in geographically diverse areas of the commonwealth.

(c) The executive office of energy and environmental affairs shall annually submit a report on disbursements of the trust, including, but not limited to, grant awardees and amounts awarded, to the clerks of the house and senate and the joint committee on telecommunications, utilities and energy not later than December 31.