Bill
H 4109
Massachusetts H 4109 relocates a portion of New Bedford Harbor lines along the Acushnet River, redefining boundaries with a detailed legal description that affects jurisdiction and
Note: The materials supplied appear to conflate two different legislative items under the same docket number: (A) a Massachusetts bill/act that would relocate harbor lines in New Bedford Harbor (filed by Reps. Christopher Hendricks and Antonio F. D. Cabral), and (B) a South Carolina House resolution honoring the Oceanside Collegiate Academy boys volleyball team. I summarize both below and flag the procedural timeline items associated with the Massachusetts matter.
Purpose and intent
- To amend Section 1 of Chapter 80 of the Acts of 1929 (as previously amended) by replacing the third paragraph with a newly drafted paragraph that redefines a portion of the harbor line on the westerly side of the Acushnet River in New Bedford.
- The change establishes new surveyed boundary points (identified as points L, M, N, O, P1, Q1, R1, S, T1, U1, V1A, etc.) defined by precise bearings, distances and coordinates.
Key provisions and changes
- Strikes the existing third paragraph of the statute and inserts a long, detailed legal description that specifies the relocated harbor lines using true bearings, feet measurements, references to existing markers (Marks 10–16, stone monuments, bridge and wharf locations), and latitude/longitude-like coordinate figures in the bill’s format.
- The new text effectively redraws the statutory harbor line along specified sections of the Acushnet River and adjacent piers/wharves.
Who is affected
- City of New Bedford (municipal planning, zoning, waterfront management)
- Property owners, wharf and pier operators, and tenants along the affected shoreline and piers (changes to harbor lines can affect jurisdiction, riparian rights, docking/berthing authority, and permitting)
- State agencies overseeing tidelands, coastal management, navigation and harbor infrastructure (e.g., Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Department of Conservation and Recreation)
- Harbor users and potentially environmental review stakeholders if permitting or remediation is implicated
Procedural/timeline aspects (from provided actions)
- Filed in Massachusetts House: 1/17/2025 (House Docket No. 3878 / 4109)
- Referred to Environment and Natural Resources Committee: 05/12/2025
- Hearing scheduled: 07/01/2025
- Committee reported favorably and referred to House Steering, Policy and Scheduling: 09/25/2025
- Rules suspended; read second and ordered to third reading; placed in Orders of the Day: 09/29/2025
- Read third and passed to be engrossed: 11/10/2025
- Read and referred to Senate Rules: 11/13/2025
- Note: The bill text provided is truncated; the full legal description should be reviewed in the official engrossed copy for precise boundary impacts.
Potential impacts and considerations
- Redefining statutory harbor lines can alter jurisdictional authority and influence shoreline development, permitting thresholds, boat access, and maintenance responsibilities.
- A precise technical/plats review and consultation with affected property owners and local authorities would be needed to understand property-specific effects.
- Environmental, navigational safety, and coastal infrastructure implications depend on the segments changed and any concurrent permitting or construction proposals.
Purpose and intent
- A House resolution to honor and recognize the Oceanside Collegiate Academy boys volleyball team and coaches for winning the 2024–2025 South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) Class AAAA State Championship.
Key points
- Championship game: November 9, 2024 — Oceanside defeated Bishop England 3–0 at A.C. Flora in Columbia.
- Season record reported: 26–3–1 (fifth year of the program; first-ever state title).
- Coaches and officials named: Head Coach Doug Smith; Resolution requests copies be presented to Principal Christina Brown and Coach Doug Smith.
- The resolution expresses pride and recognition; it is ceremonial and does not change law or policy.
Procedural status (as provided)
- Filed / Introduced and adopted: 02/26/2025
- The text (duplicated in the materials) indicates the House adopted the resolution and ordered a copy presented to school leadership.
If you want, I can:
- Provide a closer, clause-by-clause summary of the harbor-line legal description (reviewing the full, untruncated text), or
- Draft a clean, standalone summary of the Oceanside resolution suitable for publication or press use.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
Sign in to ask a question.
