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H 3752

An Act relative to greener and healthier transportation corridors

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Norm Orrall

Creates a special commission to study and draft legislation on using transportation corridors for natural, low-carbon solutions that reduce pollution and increase carbon sequestrat

Discharged to the committee on House Rules
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Bill Summary · H 3752

Summary of H.3752: An Act relative to greener and healthier transportation corridors

Overview

H.3752 proposes the creation of a special commission to study and recommend strategies for using transportation corridors to improve land use, reduce environmental harms, and support low-carbon energy generation in the Commonwealth. The commission would evaluate natural solutions along transportation rights-of-way to decrease noise, light, and air pollution, while increasing carbon sequestration and energy generation. It would also provide legislative drafts to implement the recommendations.

Key Provisions

  • Special Commission: Establishes a standing commission to study land usage of transportation corridors for environmental and energy benefits. The commission is empowered to propose legislation to carry its recommendations into effect.
  • Co-Chairs and Members:
    • Co-chairs: the Chief of the Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience and the Secretary of Transportation, jointly with the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
    • Members include: the MDT highway administrator or designee; MBTA general manager or designee; DCR commissioner or designee; three gubernatorial appointees (one transportation maintenance/operations specialist, one transportation pollutants specialist, one resident of an environmental justice community adjacent to a corridor); the President of the Senate or designee; the Speaker of the House or designee; chairs of relevant joint committees; and minority leaders or designees.
  • Scope of Study: A comprehensive assessment of using transportation right-of-ways to provide natural solutions reducing pollutants and enhancing sequestration and low-carbon energy generation. The study must review existing agency maintenance and design practices.
  • Financial Analysis: The commission must include upfront construction cost analysis and long-term maintenance costs of implementing natural solutions, compared to current practices.
  • Deliverables: Findings and recommendations, plus drafts of legislation necessary to implement the recommendations, submitted to specified committees and filed with the clerks on or before December 31, 2026.

Affected Entities and Focus Areas

  • State agencies involved in transportation, energy, and environmental protection (e.g., MassDOT, MBTA, DCR, OCI/R, EEA).
  • Environmental justice communities adjacent to transportation corridors.
  • Legislature’s transportation and environment committees, along with Ways and Means.

Procedural and Timeline Details

  • Referred to Committee: Transportation (February 27, 2025); Senate concurred (same date).
  • Discharged to House Rules: October 2, 2025.
  • Hearing Dates: Scheduled for June 24, 2025 (with prior notice adjustments).
  • Reporting Deadline: December 31, 2026 for final findings and legislative drafts.
  • Status: Discharged to the committee on House Rules; the bill is in active consideration.

Potential Impacts

  • Encourages integrating natural infrastructure into highway/rail corridors (e.g., vegetation, wetlands, solar/other low-carbon energy generation) to reduce noise, light, and air pollution.
  • Aims to advance carbon sequestration and potentially expand renewable energy generation along transportation rights-of-way.
  • Could lead to new state policies or funding approaches for corridor upgrades, with explicit attention to environmental justice communities.

Related Legislation

  • Similar matter previously filed in 2023-2024 as House Bill 3391.

This summary reflects the bill’s explicit intent to study and draft legislative changes to greener, healthier transportation corridors through a cross-agency, stakeholder-inclusive commission with a clear reporting deadline.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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