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S 2242

Establishes the task force on battery storage facility fire safety

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Mario Mattera

Requires green-communities municipal fleets to buy zero-emission vehicles whenever commercially available and practicable; if not, fuel-efficient vehicles.

REFERRED TO FINANCE
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Bill Summary · S 2242

Summary — S.2242: An Act relative to the purchase of zero‑emission vehicles in green communities

Status: Referred to Finance (bill filed 01/14/2025; check official MA legislative site for most current status)

Note on source inconsistencies: The provided metadata contains conflicting titles, sponsor lists and dates. The bill text itself (Senate No. 2242, docket 758) is authored/presented by Senator Cynthia Stone Creem and would amend Chapter 25A (green communities statute). This summary is based on the bill text.

Purpose

To require municipalities and other local governmental bodies (within the green communities program) to purchase zero‑emission vehicles (ZEVs) for municipal use whenever such vehicles are commercially available and practicable, with a limited fallback to fuel‑efficient vehicles when ZEVs are not available or practicable.

Key provision (text change)

  • Amends Section 10(c) of Chapter 25A by replacing the existing clause that requires municipalities to “purchase only fuel‑efficient vehicles for municipal use whenever such vehicles are commercially available and practicable” with the following requirement:

“(5) purchase only zero‑emission vehicles, as defined in section 16 of said chapter 25A, for municipal use whenever such vehicles are commercially available and practicable; provided, that when such zero‑emission vehicles are not commercially available or not practicable, a municipality or other local governmental body shall purchase only fuel‑efficient vehicles for municipal use whenever such vehicles are commercially available and practicable.”

Who is affected

  • Municipalities and other local governmental bodies that participate in the Commonwealth’s green communities program (municipal fleets, procurement officers).
  • Indirectly affects vendors and manufacturers of municipal vehicles, fleet maintenance operations, charging infrastructure suppliers, utilities, and state grant/assistance programs.

Practical impacts and considerations

  • Accelerates municipal fleet transition to ZEVs, supporting greenhouse gas and air‑quality goals.
  • May increase near‑term procurement costs for some municipalities; offsetting long‑term fuel and maintenance savings are possible but vary by vehicle class and usage.
  • Requires municipal planning for charging/refueling infrastructure, grid capacity, vehicle procurement policies, staff training, and maintenance capability.
  • The statute ties the requirement to commercial availability and practicability, creating a built‑in exception where ZEVs are not suitable (e.g., certain heavy or specialized vehicles).
  • Fiscal impact depends on available state incentives/grants, federal funds, and municipal budgets — bill text includes no appropriation.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Bill filed as Senate No. 2242 (docket 758). The provided record shows referral to committees including Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy and Finance; current status reported as REFERRED TO FINANCE. Verify the legislature’s official docket for up‑to‑date committee actions, hearing dates, and votes.

Related legislation

  • Related/companion listed: S.2342; bill replaces SD 758 (per provided record).

For municipal officials: review current vehicle replacement schedules, assess applicability of the “commercially available and practicable” standard for each vehicle class, and evaluate needs for charging infrastructure and funding sources before adoption.

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

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