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S 2252

Modernizes the statutory peace officer designation of certain employees of the Triborough bridge and tunnel authority

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Leroy Comrie

Gives MA municipal lighting plants power to sell, rent, or lease gear for emergency mutual aid and extends retirement/benefits coverage to employees performing duties.

REFERRED TO CODES
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Bill Summary · S 2252

Summary — S 2252 (Massachusetts): An Act relative to municipal light plant emergency mutual aid

Note on source material: The bill text provided is a Massachusetts measure (Senate Docket No. 1269) amending Section 133 of Chapter 164 of the Massachusetts General Laws and concerns municipal lighting plants and emergency mutual aid. Some accompanying metadata (title, sponsors, and committee actions) appears inconsistent or from another jurisdiction; this summary is based on the bill text itself.

Purpose

To clarify and expand the authority of municipal lighting plants (MLPs) when providing emergency mutual aid, and to extend certain employment and retirement protections to MLP employees who perform such mutual-aid duties.

Key provisions

  • Equipment transactions for mutual aid: Adds an explicit authorization allowing any municipal lighting plant providing emergency mutual aid to sell, rent, or lease equipment, fixtures, and goods of any description that are related to the provision of that emergency mutual aid.
  • Retirement/benefits coverage for employees: Provides that any employee of an MLP who is providing emergency mutual aid shall be covered by Chapter 32, Sections 1–28 (Massachusetts public employee retirement law) and shall have the same rights and privileges under those provisions as if performing those duties within the scope of their employment, including voluntary assignments authorized by the employer.
  • Clarification of third-party coverage: Modifies existing language to expressly include “or its employees” after the word “utility” in the sixth paragraph of Section 133, thereby extending the referenced statutory treatment to employees as well as the utility.

Who is affected

  • Municipal lighting plants (MLPs) in Massachusetts: gain explicit authority to transact equipment (sell/rent/lease) related to emergency mutual aid.
  • MLP employees: gain explicit eligibility for coverage and rights under Chapter 32 when performing mutual-aid duties, which may affect retirement service credit, benefits, and related protections.
  • Municipalities and utilities participating in mutual-aid arrangements: could receive or supply equipment/services more flexibly and with clearer employee-benefit treatment.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Operational: Facilitates more flexible sharing and monetization of equipment during emergencies, potentially improving mutual-aid responsiveness.
  • Fiscal: Could generate revenue for MLPs via rentals/leases, but may also create additional obligations to the public retirement system if employees receive service credit or increased benefit liabilities; actual fiscal impact would depend on usage and accounting.
  • Legal/administrative: Clarifies statutory authority and employee status during mutual-aid deployments, reducing ambiguity in personnel and benefits treatment.

Procedural status (from bill record)

  • Filed/introduced: January 16, 2025 (Senate Docket No. 1269).
  • Referred to: Senate Committee on Steering/Codes and to the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy (record shows referral 2/27/2025).
  • Hearing scheduled: June 12, 2025 (per committee record).
  • Note: The legislative record supplied contains some conflicting entries (other committee references and sponsor lists from different jurisdictions).

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

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