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Bill

S 2490

Relates to creating a feebate program for medium and heavy duty vehicles

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Leroy Comrie and 2 co-sponsors

The bill creates a program to reimburse municipalities for 75% of veterans outreach expenses, capped at $2,000 each, via Secretary of Veterans’ Services rulemaking.

REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION
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Bill Summary · S 2490

Bill Summary — S 2490

Short title / subject: Official bill text provided is “An Act relative to outreach to veterans.”
Note on conflicting metadata: The top-line metadata supplied with this request (title: “feebate program for medium and heavy duty vehicles”; sponsors Timothy Kaine and Andy Kim; status “REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION”) conflicts with the underlying bill text and Senate docket included in the file, which is a Massachusetts state bill (SD 597 / Senate No. 2490) concerning veterans’ outreach and sponsored in the Massachusetts Senate by Michael F. Rush (with co‑petitioners Paul McMurtry and Steven George Xiarhos). This summary is based on the bill text and docket (veterans’ outreach). Please consult the official legislative site for authoritative status if needed.

Purpose

To reimburse municipalities for certain outreach expenses incurred by local Departments of Veterans’ Services (DVSes), by directing the Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans’ Services to adopt regulations establishing the reimbursement program.

Key provisions

  • Amends Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 115, Section 5 by inserting a new paragraph after paragraph 7.
  • Directs the Secretary of Veterans’ Services to promulgate regulations to reimburse municipalities for outreach costs incurred by local Departments of Veterans’ Services.
  • Reimbursement rate: 75% of outreach expenses.
  • Reimbursement cap: reimbursement “not to exceed $2,000.” (Bill language: “reimburse ... of 75% of all outreach expenses not to exceed $2,000.”)

Implementation mechanics

  • The Secretary of Veterans’ Services is given rulemaking authority to define and administer the program (eligibility, documentation, claims process, allowable outreach activities, timing).
  • The bill does not specify the funding source or appropriation mechanism for reimbursements.

Who is affected

  • Municipalities (local governments) operating Departments of Veterans’ Services.
  • Local Veterans’ Service Officers who conduct outreach.
  • Veterans in the community who may receive more proactive outreach and connection to benefits and services.
  • State Department of Veterans’ Services (administrative duties, rulemaking, and processing reimbursements).

Procedural status and timeline (from provided record; contains inconsistencies)

  • Senate docket filed: 1/14/2025 (SD 597 / Senate No. 2490).
  • Petition sponsors listed: Michael F. Rush, Paul McMurtry, Steven George Xiarhos.
  • Actions listed include referrals to Veterans and Federal Affairs, Transportation, and a later referral to Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; dates in the provided action list are inconsistent (some out of chronological order). A hearing was noted as scheduled for 07/22/2025. Status shown at top of the file: REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION.
  • Given these discrepancies, confirm current status and committee assignment on the official Massachusetts Legislature site.

Potential impact and considerations

  • Fiscal: The $2,000 cap per reimbursement (per municipality or per outreach activity — the language is ambiguous) limits state exposure but may also limit support to larger outreach efforts; absence of a specified funding source means costs would require appropriation.
  • Operational: Rulemaking by the Secretary will determine practical eligibility, frequency of reimbursement, documentation required, and whether the cap is per municipality per year or per outreach event.
  • Policy: Likely to encourage and partially finance local outreach to veterans, improving access to benefits and services—especially beneficial to municipalities with limited budgets.

If you want, I can: (a) draft a brief plain‑language one‑page explainer for municipal officials, (b) propose likely regulatory questions the Secretary will need to address, or (c) check the current official legislative status online and reconcile the metadata discrepancies.

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

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