Massachusetts H 3937: An Act authorizing the town of Canton to grant temporary and permanent easements of certain land of the town situated in the town of Stoughton for highway purposes

Bill Text

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3216 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3937

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Joan Meschino
_________________
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 creating a climate bank in Massachusetts.
_______________
PETITION OF:

NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS: DATE ADDED:
Joan Meschino 3rd Plymouth 1/16/2025
Rebecca L. Rausch Norfolk, Worcester and Middlesex 1/16/2025
James C. Arena-DeRosa 8th Middlesex 4/5/2025
John Barrett, III 1st Berkshire 9/30/2025
Natalie M. Blais 1st Franklin 12/22/2025
Mike Connolly 26th Middlesex 3/20/2025
Manny Cruz 7th Essex 2/4/2025
Leigh Davis 3rd Berkshire 9/22/2025
Marjorie C. Decker 25th Middlesex 6/26/2025
Patricia A. Duffy 5th Hampden 10/21/2025
James B. Eldridge Middlesex and Worcester 5/15/2025
Tricia Farley-Bouvier 2nd Berkshire 9/26/2025
Carmine Lawrence Gentile 13th Middlesex 10/12/2025
Homar Gómez 2nd Hampshire 9/26/2025
Natalie M. Higgins 4th Worcester 2/10/2025
Vanna Howard 17th Middlesex 5/7/2025
Kristin E. Kassner 2nd Essex 11/14/2025
Thomas W. Moakley Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket 6/2/2025

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Lindsay N. Sabadosa 1st Hampshire 9/26/2025
Margaret R. Scarsdale 1st Middlesex 10/5/2025
Dawne Shand 1st Essex 11/12/2025
Thomas P. Walsh 12th Essex 4/16/2025
Hannah Bowen 6th Essex 10/9/2025

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3216 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3937
By Representative Meschino of Hull, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 9) of Joan Meschino and
others for legislation to create a climate bank to facilitate innovative financing solutions for
climate and clean energy innovations in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Financial
Services.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act creating a climate bank in Massachusetts.

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

1 The General Laws are hereby amended by inserting after section 14 of chapter 23J the
2 following new section:-
3 Section 15.
4 (a) As used in this chapter the following words shall have the following meanings unless
5 the context clearly requires otherwise:-
6 “Bank”, the Massachusetts Climate Bank established pursuant to subsection (b).
7 “Board”, the Massachusetts Climate Board established pursuant to subsection (c).
8 “Bonds” or “notes”, such bonds and notes as are issued by the bank pursuant to this
9 chapter.

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10 “Climate and clean energy innovations”, all innovations, or uses of technologies,
11 services, and solutions, or innovative financing to address climate resiliency, mitigate
12 greenhouse gas emissions or support clean energy. This could include greenhouse gas mitigation
13 through decarbonization or deployment of climate and clean energy innovations to advance
14 compliance with the statewide greenhouse gas emission limits and sub-limits established
15 pursuant to chapter 21N.
16 “Climate Chief”, the Climate Chief for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
17 “State Treasurer”, the Massachusetts State Treasurer and Receiver General
18 “Secretary A&F”, Secretary of the Executive Office for Administration and Finance.
19 “Secretary EEA”, the secretary of the executive office of energy and environmental
20 affairs.
21 “Secretary EOED”, the secretary of the executive office of economic development.
22 “Rural Communities”, are municipalities with population densities of less than 500
23 persons per square mile or a population of less than 7,000 persons, in each case as shown in the
24 most recent U.S. decennial census.
25 (b) There is hereby created a body politic and corporate and a public instrumentality
26 to be known as the Massachusetts Climate Bank, which shall be an independent public authority
27 not subject to the supervision and control of any other executive office, department, commission,
28 board, bureau, agency or political subdivision of the commonwealth except as specifically
29 provided in any general or special law. The exercise by the authority of the powers conferred by
30 this chapter shall be considered to be the performance of an essential public function.

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31 (c) The bank shall be governed by the board and shall continue as long as it shall have
32 bonds or notes or guarantee commitments outstanding and until its existence is terminated by
33 law. Upon the termination of the existence of the bank, all right, title and interest in and to all of
34 its assets and all of its obligations, duties, covenants, agreements and obligations shall vest in and
35 be possessed, performed and assumed by the state
36 (d) It shall be the duty and purpose of the bank to: (1) evaluate, coordinate an