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H 3171

Maddie's Law

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Thomas Beach and 3 co-sponsors

Massachusetts H 3171 would exempt fuel sold to the Commonwealth, state agencies, and municipalities from the per-gallon motor fuel excise tax.

Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Edgerton
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · H 3171

Summary — H 3171 ("Maddie's Law") — Materials provided contain two different draft texts (see note)

Note on source materials: The packet you supplied contains two distinct bill texts that appear to be from different jurisdictions and with different policy goals: (A) a Massachusetts House bill (House No. 3171 / docket 265) titled “An Act to exempt municipalities from the gas tax,” and (B) a South Carolina criminal justice bill titled “Maddie’s Law” that creates and revises dangerous-driving offenses and penalties. Below I summarize both, and I flag procedural notes and inconsistencies in the supplied legislative action history so readers can verify jurisdiction and the final enrolled language.

A. Massachusetts bill (House No. 3171 / HD 265) — “An Act to exempt municipalities from the gas tax”

  • Purpose / intent

    • To exempt sales of motor fuel made to the Commonwealth, any state agency, or any municipality (or its agencies) from the per‑gallon excise tax imposed under chapter 64A of the Massachusetts General Laws.

  • Key provision(s)

    • Amends Section 12 of chapter 64A by adding a paragraph stating: any sale of fuel (including unleaded gasoline and diesel) by a distributor to the Commonwealth, any state agency, or any municipality or its agencies is exempt from the tax per gallon contained in chapter 64A.

  • Who is affected

    • Municipal governments and their agencies purchasing fuel would no longer pay the state motor‑fuel excise tax on those purchases.
    • Fuel distributors would no longer collect/ remit excise on qualifying sales to state or municipal purchasers.
    • The Commonwealth’s Highway Fund and other state revenue streams that depend on motor‑fuel excise receipts could see reduced collections to the extent municipal purchases are significant.

  • Fiscal and operational impact

    • Removes excise tax revenue on fuel sold to state and municipal buyers. The magnitude depends on aggregate municipal/state fuel purchases; no dollar estimate is included in the text.
    • Potential administrative change: distributors and purchasers would need to follow procedures (not specified in the draft) to document exempt transactions.

  • Procedural / timeline notes (from supplied actions)

    • Prefiled: 12/05/2024; filed 1/7/2025 (House docket 265).
    • Sponsor: Rep. Marc T. Lombardo (22nd Middlesex); a member (Edgerton) requested to be added as sponsor on 2/12/2025.
    • Referred to committee(s): entries show both Revenue and Judiciary (materials conflicted); a referral to Revenue was noted 2/27/2025.
    • Hearing(s): hearing schedule entries list dates in October 2025 (10/17/2025) — consult the committee calendar for confirmation.
    • Similar prior filing: House No. 2881 (2023–2024) is cited as similar matter.

B. South Carolina draft — “Maddie’s Law” (included in packet)

  • Purpose / intent

    • To create a new felony offense for reckless driving that causes great bodily injury, raise penalties for reckless vehicular homicide, and increase associated license suspensions.

  • Key provisions

    • Adds Section 56‑5‑2915:
    • Creates the offense “reckless driving resulting in great bodily injury.” Penalty: fine up to $7,500, imprisonment up to 7 years, or both. Mandatory 2‑year driver’s license revocation. Defines “great bodily injury” (substantial risk of death, serious permanent disfigurement, or protracted loss/impairment).
    • Allows a person, after one year following conviction and release, to petition to lift the second year of license suspension for good cause.
    • Amends Section 56‑5‑2910 (reckless vehicular homicide):
    • Increases maximum imprisonment from 10 to 15 years; retains fines of $1,000–$5,000; mandates a 5‑year license revocation.
    • Effective date: upon approval by the Governor.
    • Contains a savings clause preserving pending actions under prior law.

  • Who is affected

    • Drivers in South Carolina committing reckless driving that causes serious injury or death; criminal defendants, prosecutors, and courts applying the new statutory penalties; Department of Motor Vehicles (license suspensions).

Practical notes and recommendations

  • The two texts are substantively unrelated and appear to originate from different states (Massachusetts vs. South Carolina). Confirm which jurisdiction and text correspond to H 3171 in your tracking system.
  • For the Massachusetts fuel‑tax exemption: request or consult the committee fiscal note to assess revenue impact and any implementing regulations or certification procedures for exempt purchases.
  • For the South Carolina “Maddie’s Law”: check status in the South Carolina legislature and any committee reports on sentencing, DMV administrative impacts, or interactions with existing vehicular‑crime statutes.

If you want, I can:
- Draft a one‑page fiscal impact checklist for the Massachusetts exemption bill, or
- Produce a brief legal/ADA analysis of how the South Carolina text would interact with existing reckless‑motor‑vehicle statutes.

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

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