During our August Meet-Up, MassBike was joined by some of our key legislative partners for a Massachusetts bike-friendly bills update. We discussed the six bills MassBike is supporting this session and what MassBike supports can do to help them become laws. Thank you to our legislative partners who took time out of their summer recess to provide an update on the bike-friendly bills they're supporting this session, we appreciate having such great advocates working for better bicycling in the State House.

We were joined by Representative Lindsay Sabadosa (1st Hampshire), Representative Tommy Vitolo (15th Norfolk), Representative Steve Owens (29th Middlesex), Senator Sal DiDomenico (Middlesex and Suffolk, and Senator Will Brownsberger (2nd Suffolk and Middlesex) who gave updates on the bike-friendly bills they’re championing this session and answered questions from attendees. Representative Natalie Blais (1st Franklin) provided prerecorded remarks about her bill, An act relative to electric bicycle rebates. You can view the recording on MassBike’s YouTube Channel and check out the slideshow presentation to learn more about the status of these crucial bills. Below you can find a list of the bills discussed and how you can take action to help these bills become laws.

• An Act authorizing municipalities to expend certain funds for the acquisition of land to be used for rail trails, sponsored by Sen Eldridge, Rep Gentile, Rep Sabadosa 
  • Already into law w/ the Budget!
• An Act relative to commuter transit benefits, sponsored by Sen Keenan, Rep Vitolo
  • Bill Numbers (192nd Session): H.3088 and S.1890
  • Status: Referred to Joint Committee on Revenue
• An Act relative to electric bicycles, sponsored by Sen DiDomenico, Rep Owens, Rep Fernandes
  • Bill Numbers (192nd Session): H.3457 and S.2309
  • Status: Referred to Joint Committee on Transportation
• An Act relative to electric bicycle rebates, sponsored by Rep Blais
  • Bill Number (192nd Session): H.3262
  • Status: Referred to Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy
• An Act to reduce traffic fatalities, sponsored by Sen Brownsberger, Rep Moran, Rep Straus
  • Bill Numbers (192nd Session): H.3549 and S.2273
  • Status: Referred to Joint Committee on Transportation
• An Act relative to automated enforcement, sponsored by Sen Brownsberger, Rep Ciccolo, Rep Tucker
  • Bill Numbers (192nd Session): H.2426 and H.2532 and S.1545
  • Status: Referred to Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security

Take Action

• Contact your local legislators & ask them to support the following bike-friendly bills
  • An Act relative to commuter transit benefits – Bill Numbers: H.3088 and S.1890
  • An Act relative to electric bicycles – Bill Numbers: H.3457 and S.2309
  • An Act relative to electric bicycle rebates – Bill Number: H.3262
  • An Act to reduce traffic fatalities – Bill Numbers: H.3549 and S.2273 
  • An Act relative to automated enforcement - Bill Numbers: H.2426 and H.2532 and S.1545 
• For An Act to reduce traffic fatalities & An Act relative to electric bicycles: contact the Chairs of the Joint Committee on Transportation asking them to hold a hearing to discuss these crucial bills
• For An Act relative to electric bicycle rebates: contact your representative and ask them to co-sponsor
• Keep in touch and let us know about the conversations you’re having with your elected officials so we can help turn these bike-friendly bills into laws! You can always reach us at [email protected]

Our Legislation page will be updated as these bills progress, check back for updates and stay tuned for future action alerts.