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Bill

S 2372

Relates to "Chelsey's law"

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jake Ashby and 13 co-sponsors

Defines and regulates sidewalk delivery robots as mobile carrying devices with limits on weight, speed, monitoring, and pedestrian priority.

REFERRED TO CODES
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 2372

Summary — S.2372 (Senate Docket No. 1788)

Title: An Act relative to mobile carrying devices

Purpose

S.2372 creates a statutory category called “mobile carrying devices” and authorizes their limited operation on sidewalks and crosswalks in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The bill aims to regulate small, electrically powered delivery/transport devices (e.g., sidewalk delivery robots) by defining technical and operational limits and assigning rights, duties, and enforcement treatment.

Key provisions

  • Adds a new Section 1J to Chapter 90 of the Massachusetts General Laws defining “mobile carrying device.”
    • Defined as an electrically powered device that:
    • Is operated on sidewalks and crosswalks and primarily transports personal property;
    • Weighs less than 90 pounds (excluding cargo);
    • Has a maximum speed of 12.5 miles per hour;
    • Is equipped with technology to transport property under active monitoring by the property owner; and
    • Is primarily designed to remain within 25 feet of the property owner.
  • Clarifies a mobile carrying device is not a “vehicle” unless another law expressly defines it as such.
  • Permits operation on sidewalks and crosswalks provided:
    • Operation complies with any applicable local ordinances;
    • A property owner is actively monitoring navigation/operation; and
    • The device has a system enabling it to come to a controlled stop.
  • Prohibits allowing a device to:
    • Disobey traffic or pedestrian control devices/signals;
    • Unreasonably interfere with pedestrians or traffic;
    • Transport hazardous material; or
    • Operate on streets/highways except when crossing within a crosswalk.
  • Gives the device the rights and obligations of a pedestrian in the same circumstances, but requires the device to yield the right-of-way to pedestrians on sidewalks/crosswalks.
  • Makes violations of the section an infraction.

Who is affected

  • Operators/property owners of sidewalk delivery robots or electrically powered carrying devices.
  • Pedestrians and other sidewalk users (safety and right-of-way implications).
  • Municipalities/local highway authorities (authority to adopt local ordinances governing where devices may operate).
  • Law enforcement and municipal code enforcement (infraction-level enforcement).

Enforcement & penalties

  • Violations are classified as infractions (non-criminal), subject to whatever fine/penalty schedule applies to infractions under state/local law.

Procedural status & timeline

  • Filed in the Senate (Docket No. 1788) and presented by Sen. Sal N. DiDomenico (Middlesex and Suffolk); similar matter filed previously (Senate No. 2228, 2023–2024).
  • Legislative actions (selected): referred to relevant committees and codes; hearings scheduled/rescheduled in mid‑2025. Current status provided in the bill header: REFERRED TO CODES.

Notes / Potential impacts

  • The bill prioritizes pedestrian safety by requiring devices to yield and prohibiting obstruction or hazardous cargo.
  • It leaves room for local control — municipalities can restrict where devices operate.
  • By excluding these devices from the statutory definition of “vehicle,” the bill avoids applying motor-vehicle rules that may be unsuitable, but may create cross‑statutory interpretation issues if other laws reference “vehicle.”
  • The active-monitoring requirement may affect how commercial delivery services deploy autonomous devices (likely requiring remote human oversight).

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

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