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S 2191

Relates to increasing the monetary jurisdiction of the justice courts from three thousand dollars to fifteen thousand dollars

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Tony Palumbo

Proposes a 13-member commission to study and draft how a municipal building finance authority could fund, plan, design, and manage local facilities.

REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
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Bill Summary · S 2191

Summary — S.2191 (Senate No. 2191) — Municipal Building Finance Authority: Special Commission

Note on source material: The file submitted contains mixed metadata (an initial title referencing justice court jurisdiction and a list of federal sponsors) that conflict with the bill text. This summary is based on the bill text (Senate No. 2191 / Senate Docket No. 457, filed 1/13/2025) which proposes creation of a special commission to study the feasibility of establishing a municipal building finance authority in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Purpose

Create a special, time-limited commission to investigate and report on whether and how to establish a municipal building finance authority that would help municipalities plan, design, finance, construct, maintain and modernize municipal facilities.

Key provisions

  • Establishes a Special Commission on the Feasibility of a Municipal Building Finance Authority.
  • Scope of study:
    • Review relevant state and federal reports and recommendations.
    • Identify state and private funding sources; evaluate grant and loan programs for municipal planning, design, and construction.
    • Assess innovative financing approaches to assist municipalities with facilities such as councils-on-aging, public safety facilities, town halls, and other municipal buildings.
    • Define potential powers of an authority, including:
    • Establishing grant programs;
    • Providing architectural and technical assistance to municipalities and project participants (contractors, managers, designers);
    • Conducting or commissioning a needs survey to identify capital construction, reconstruction, maintenance, and other capital needs across municipalities;
    • Drafting recommended legislation to implement an authority.
  • Commission membership (13 total):
    • 2 senators appointed by Senate President; 2 representatives appointed by Speaker of the House;
    • 1 senator and 1 representative appointed by the minority leader of each chamber;
    • State Treasurer (or designee);
    • Secretary of Administration & Finance (or designee);
    • Secretary of Public Safety & Security (or designee);
    • Secretary of Elder Affairs (or designee);
    • Secretary of Housing & Economic Development (or designee);
    • Executive Director of the School Building Authority (or designee);
    • A Massachusetts Municipal Association representative.
  • Appointments due no later than 90 days after the act’s effective date. Members serve until the report is completed.
  • Report requirement: Commission must file its findings, recommendations and draft legislation with clerks of the House and Senate by December 31, 2026.

Who is affected / potential impact

  • Directly: state agencies and officials named to the commission; the Massachusetts Municipal Association; municipalities (cities and towns) that might use a future authority.
  • Indirectly: municipal planning, construction and maintenance sectors (architects, contractors, construction managers), and residents who use municipal facilities.
  • If the commission recommends creation of an authority, municipalities could gain a centralized vehicle for grants/loans, technical assistance, and coordinated capital planning — potentially lowering costs, improving project delivery, and addressing deferred maintenance.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Bill text filed 1/13/2025 (Senate Docket No. 457). Petitioned by Sen. Patrick M. O’Connor and others.
  • The text requires the commission to report by December 31, 2026.
  • Legislative action entries show the bill was referred to relevant committees; multiple hearing dates were scheduled for October 29, 2025. (Source materials contain some conflicting dates and sponsor listings; the bill text itself identifies state-level sponsors and the commission structure.)

If you want, I can produce a one-page factsheet for municipal officials that highlights what the proposed commission would study and what to submit if municipalities wish to provide input.

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

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