Four bills to kick off the week

On Monday July 22, the Senate began its last full week in the 2023-2024 legislative session by passing four pieces of legislation. 

Read on to learn more about what was passed. 

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S.1506 — An Act relative to successful transition and re-entry to tomorrow for incarcerated persons

I am proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation. 

• Requires the chief administrative officer of a correctional facility, no later than 120 days prior to the expected discharge of and with the consent of an incarcerated person, to begin the process of securing from the Registry of Motor Vehicles a Massachusetts identification card.
• Requires the Registrar of Motor Vehicles to accept certain addresses if an incarcerated person attests they do not have a permanent address if the owner or tenant of the address has been notified and has not objected.
• Requires the Registry of Motor Vehicles to accept a valid inmate identification card issued by a correctional facility as proof of residency.
• Requires the Commissioner of Corrections to annually report to the legislature on the number of incarcerated persons offered assistance in securing an identification card, the number that accepted the assistance and the number that denied the assistance and the reason for that choice.
• Requires the Registry of Motor Vehicles to provide the identification card or license at no cost to the incarcerated person.

S.2600 — An Act relative to bus lane enforcement

• Prohibits a motor vehicle from parking or standing in a bus lane unless otherwise regulated or posted by an official traffic signal, sign or marking.
• Authorizes the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and any regional transit authority to deploy bus mounted camera enforcement systems and bus stop camera enforcement systems.
• Establishes a fine of $25 to $125 for a bus lane violation and $100 for bus stop violations.
• Establishes exemptions from liability for camera-enforceable violations.
• Allows an enforcing authority to send a written warning for the purpose of education in lieu of a fine pursuant to objective criteria included in a written policy.
• Excludes violations from a person’s operating record.
• Provides that a camera-enforceable violation is not considered a moving violation for the purpose of determining a surcharge on a motor vehicle insurance premium.
• Establishes a procedure by which an enforcing authority notifies the registered owner of a motor vehicle identified in photographs committing a camera-enforceable violation.
• Allows an owner of a motor vehicle to contest responsibility for a camera-enforceable violation in writing or at a hearing.
• Requires an enforcing authority to notify the Registrar of Motor Vehicles if the owner of a motor vehicle accrues not less than 3 unresolved violation notices for a camera enforceable violation and prohibits the Registrar from issuing or renewing the owner’s motor vehicle registration until all such fines are paid.
• Requires that an owner of a motor vehicle that is in the business of leasing or renting the vehicle must provide the enforcing authority the name and address of the person leasing or renting of the motor vehicle at the time of the camera-enforceable violation who would then be liable for the violation.
• Requires an enforcing authority to notify the Registrar of Motor Vehicles if the owner of a motor vehicle accrues 5 or more unresolved violation notices for a camera-enforceable violation, and prohibits the Registrar from issuing or renewing the owner’s motor vehicle registration or, for a lessee or rentee not licensed in the Commonwealth, to suspend the right to operate until all such fines are paid.
• Requires an enforcing authority to post on any vehicle equipped with a bus mounted camera system and in the location of any bus stop camera system an unobstructed sign notifying the public that a camera system is in use.
• Requires an enforcing authority to make a public announcement and conduct a public awareness campaign about the use of automated road safety camera systems beginning at least 60 days before a system is put into use.
• Limits the discoverability and admissibility of photographs or other recorded evidence taken by a camera enforcement system.
• Prohibits a camera enforcement system from being used to identify the vehicle operator, the passenger or contents of a motor vehicle committing a camera-enforceable violation, and requires an enforcing authority to redact or obscure the vehicle operator, passengers or contents.
• Allows an enforcing authority to recover costs reasonably related to the implementation and operation of camera enforcement system, with the net revenues deposited in the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund.
• Requires the enforcing authorities to annually publish and submit a report to the legislature on the number and location of fines issued, including a consideration of social and racial impacts of enforcement over the past year.

S.2659 — An Act establishing a special commission to review the adequacy and equity of the Massachusetts School Building Program

• Establishes a Special Commission to study and make recommendations regarding the: (i) capacity of the Massachusetts School Building Authority to meet the needs of current and future school facility projects; and (ii) racial, ethnic, socio-economic and geographic equity of the grant funding formula to ensure that all communities may participate in the program.
• Requires the Authority and other state agencies to make documents, data or other material available to the commission in a timely manner when reasonably requested by the commission.
• Requires the Commission to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the legislature not later than June 1, 2026.

H.4698 — An Act relative to the direct wine shipper license

• Authorizes the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission to issue a direct wine shipper license to any person, firm or corporation that holds a federal basic permit and holds a license in the Commonwealth or any other state to manufacture or export wine.
• Clarifies a winery licensed by the Commission as a direct wine shipper may make sales and delivery of wine directly to residents of the Commonwealth over the age of 21 for personal use provided that the winery licensed as a direct wine shipper shall not sell at retail or deliver any wine or wine product not produced for or by the winery and sold under the winery’s brand name.