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S 2248

Relates to requiring consumer reporting agencies contact consumers when requests are made for their consumer reports

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

Gives municipalities explicit consent rights and detailed project data from gas companies, and requires timely municipal input on repairs/replacements before state approval.

REFERRED TO CONSUMER PROTECTION
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Bill Summary · S 2248

Summary — S.2248 (Massachusetts): "An Act relative to municipal voices in gas utility work"

Note on metadata: the bill text provided is from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts (sponsored in the MA Senate by Cynthia Stone Creem) and addresses municipal consent and information-sharing for gas utility street openings and pipeline work. Other metadata (title about consumer reporting agencies and a list of U.S. senators) appears inconsistent with the text; this summary describes the bill text as filed in the Massachusetts General Court.

Purpose

To increase municipal control, transparency, and oversight of gas company work in public ways by:
- making municipal consent central to digging/opening streets,
- requiring gas companies to provide detailed project, pipeline and leak information on request,
- creating notification and review timelines when gas companies submit repair/replacement/retirement plans to the state department, and
- preserving municipal authority to regulate street openings consistent with state law.

Key provisions

  • Replaces G.L. c.164, §70:

    • Gas companies may dig/open public ways only with the written consent of the city council or town select board. Consent does not limit municipal remedies for damages.
    • Requires gas companies to restore streets to as-good condition and makes failure to do so a nuisance.
    • Expands the definition of property damage to include trees harmed by gas migration into the "critical root zone" (CRZ defined as radius = 1 foot per inch of tree diameter measured at 4.5 ft above grade) and harm from construction activities.
    • Allows municipal bodies, as a condition of consent or grant of location, to require a gas company — within 30 days of request — to supply specified information, including:
    • project street-segment list; pipeline age, condition, type, size, pressure; leak counts and status; probable causes of leaks; estimated cost and start/completion dates for repairs/replacement; whether mains are being extended/repaired/replaced/retired; leaks in work areas; project purpose; capacity changes; anticipated risks; and any other reasonable items requested.
    • Enables an aggrieved municipality to petition the (state) department to compel a gas company to provide requested information after a show-cause proceeding.

  • Amends G.L. c.164, §145:

    • Within 3 days of submitting any plan to the department for repair/replacement/improvement/retirement of infrastructure, the gas company must send that plan (including identified/prioritized street segments) to the affected municipality — a condition of department approval.
    • The municipality has 90 days to submit comments/questions; the gas company must respond to those questions within 15 days.
    • The gas company must send department approval to the municipality within 3 days of approval.
    • The department may disallow costs for non-emergency projects if a plan was not submitted for municipal review as required.

Who would be affected

  • Gas companies operating in Massachusetts (procedural, reporting and potential cost-recovery impacts).
  • City councils and town select boards (new consent authority and information rights).
  • Municipal public works departments, residents and property owners (greater transparency; potential influence on project timing and mitigation of tree/property impacts).
  • The state department referenced in the bill (administrative role in enforcement and cost determinations).

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Bill filed in the 194th General Court (2025–2026).
  • Filed/Introduced Jan 16, 2025 (Senate Docket No. 1476; Senate No. 2248) by Sen. Cynthia Stone Creem.
  • Referred to Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy (and variously listed as referred to Consumer Protection and Judiciary in provided actions). Hearing scheduled 06/04/2025; later readings and committee referrals reported (see source timeline for exact dates).
  • If enacted, key operational timelines in the law would be: 30 days for information responses (§70), and 3 / 90 / 15 / 3 day windows tied to plan submission, municipal comment, company response, and notice of approval (§145).

Potential impacts

  • Increases municipal oversight and local input into gas infrastructure projects.
  • Improves access to pipeline condition and leak data at the municipal level.
  • May lengthen pre-construction timelines for non-emergency projects because of mandated notice and comment periods.
  • Could affect utilities’ cost recovery for projects not properly coordinated with municipalities.
  • Strengthens municipal ability to seek enforcement through the state department when companies fail to comply.

If you want, I can produce a side-by-side redline of current G.L. c.164 sections 70 and 145 against the proposed text or draft a short explainer for municipal officials on how to use the new authorities.

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

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