Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
Economic development bills passed by the House and Senate in July, which include more than $500 million in funding and a wide range of policy provisions, have been sent to a conference committee to reconcile the two versions.
The House approved its bill on July 8, and the Senate took its action on July 23. The MMA has sent a letter of testimony to the conference committee detailing key municipal concerns and priorities.
Zoning
The House and Senate bills differ in their approaches, but each branch included proposed by-right zoning changes that would significantly impact cities and towns.
The Senate bill would allow duplexes by right in residential zones, while the House bill would mandate multifamily housing by right on land owned by religious institutions.
The MMA strongly opposes both proposals, stating that these types of by-right provisions undermine essential local decision-making and bypass community input.
Also concerning is a provision in the Senate bill that would create a “preference modifier” for all grant applicants that have specific zoning or land-use policies for all discretionary and competitive grant funding across all agencies.
Alcohol
The Senate bill includes multiple provisions related to alcohol laws, including an MMA priority to return control of bar and restaurant liquor licenses to cities and towns. The Senate also included local-option provisions for municipalities to permit happy hour pricing on alcoholic beverages and to allow public drinking in designated areas, as happened this past summer under a pilot program.
Public meetings
The Senate bill includes a key MMA priority, to codify existing remote and hybrid public meeting flexibilities, as well as remote provisions for representative town meetings. These existing authorizations are set to expire next year. The Senate included a provision aimed at limiting nuisance open meeting law violation complaints, allowing a municipality to seek relief from the attorney general’s office if a complainant files more than 12 complaints within a year.
Municipal buildings
The Senate bill would create a commission to study the concept of a Municipal and Public Safety Building Authority. The commission’s charge would be to develop a framework to assist cities and towns with the construction, rehabilitation, and long-term management of municipal and public safety facilities, a long-time priority of the MMA.
Smart growth
The Senate bill would update payments for Chapter 40R Smart Growth zoning.
Other provisions
Both the House and Senate bills include provisions that would:
• Standardize site plan review
• Create an opt-in program for communities wishing to convert commercial buildings to housing
• Create regulations related to micromobility devices, including a speed tier classification system and standardized definitions for ridership and safety
• Allow municipalities to create bylaws allowing for tenants of multifamily buildings to have a right of first refusal when the building is sold
Funding
Grant authorizations in the Senate bill include:
• $25 million to support the Downtown Vitality Fund
• $25 million for Creative Economy and Cultural Infrastructure grants
• $20 million for community development financial institutions
• $75 million for the development and application of AI
Subject to funding, the Senate bill would require an AED at any public facility holding a sporting event or activity.
Under legislative rules, the conference committee has until Jan. 5, 2027, the beginning of the next, two-year legislative session, to work out the differences between the two bills and vote on a final report.