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S 2391

Requiring a police officer to be present at schools within the city of New York during instructional hours

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Simcha Felder

The bill directs MassDOT to study converting the I‑95 Mansfield rest area into a regional visitor center with safety upgrades, EV charging, staffing, and tourism amenities.

RECOMMIT, ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN
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Bill Summary · S 2391

Summary — S.2391 (Massachusetts)

Title: An Act to remediate and reopen the visitor information center on I‑95 in Northern Bristol County for traveler safety and convenience and to promote regional tourism and economic development

Purpose / Intent

The bill directs the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Highway Division to evaluate, plan, and recommend steps to remediate and reopen the visitor information / rest area facility on I‑95 north in Mansfield, MA, converting it into a regional visitor information center to improve traveler safety, convenience, and to promote local and regional tourism and economic development.

Key provisions

  • Authority and deadline
    • Notwithstanding other laws, MassDOT’s Highway Division must convene a working group within 90 days of enactment to study reopening and conversion of the I‑95 Mansfield facility.
  • Scope of the working group’s study (explicit list)
    • Removal of surplus highway materials, vehicles, signage and supplies blocking facility use
    • Removal of roadway debris and litter on site
    • Plans to redesign, rehabilitate and reconstruct the structure; funding needs to achieve a “state of good repair”
    • Safety improvements and accessibility upgrades
    • Restroom reconstruction
    • Regular landscaping schedule and roadway paving
    • Installation of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations
    • Regular staffing of the facility
    • Consideration of allowable activities under 23 U.S.C. §111(a) (e.g., commercial advertising/media displays, tourism promotion materials, event tickets, travel information, lottery machines)
    • A system for counting guests and vehicles entering/exiting the facility
    • Identification of any additional allowable uses/activities or stipulations
    • Draft memorandum of understanding (MOU) for contracting with a regional tourism council, chamber of commerce, or other entity to operate the center
    • Projected costs to bring the facility to a state of good repair
  • Report requirement
    • The working group must file its findings with the Clerks of the House and Senate no later than June 1, 2026.

Who is affected

  • Primary: MassDOT Highway Division (project lead), facility users (drivers/travelers), and the Town of Mansfield (site location).
  • Secondary: regional tourism councils, local chambers of commerce, nearby businesses and attractions that would be promoted, contractors for construction/rehab and EV infrastructure, and state budget/appropriations if repairs or staffing require funding.

Timeline and procedural notes

  • Filed/Presented: Senate Docket No. 2228 — filed 1/17/2025; presented by Senator Paul R. Feeney.
  • Working group must be convened within 90 days of the act’s passage; final report due by June 1, 2026.
  • The bill focuses on study and planning; it does not itself appropriate funds for repairs or operations. Subsequent actions (appropriations, MOUs, contracts) would be required to implement construction, staffing, and operating changes the group recommends.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Benefits: improved traveler safety and convenience, promotion of regional tourism, potential economic benefits to local businesses, and added amenities such as EV charging.
  • Costs: physical rehabilitation, restroom reconstruction, staffing, EV charging installation, and ongoing maintenance — actual costs to be estimated by the working group.
  • Legal/operational: the bill contemplates use of marketing/advertising consistent with federal 23 U.S.C. §111(a), and contemplates public–private or intergovernmental operating arrangements via an MOU.

Note: The bill text provided corresponds to a Massachusetts Senate filing (S.2391 / Senate Docket No. 2228). Some metadata supplied alongside the text (titles, sponsors, and legislative action entries) appears inconsistent or drawn from other jurisdictions or sessions; the summary above is based on the Massachusetts bill language as filed 1/17/2025.

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

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