By Mr. Sannicandro of Ashland, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 183) of Tom Sannicandro to establish zoning clarity.  Community Development and Small Business.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Tom Sannicandro

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act to establish zoning clarity.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 12 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 11L the following section:

Section 11M.

The attorney general shall create within the department of the attorney general a Division of Zoning Exemption Oversight. The attorney general shall designate an assistant attorney general as director of the Division of Zoning Exemption Oversight (the “director”). The director shall serve at the pleasure of the attorney general.

The director, in consultation with other executive agencies including but not limited to the executive office of health and human services, the executive office of public safety, the department of housing and community development and the office of commonwealth development, shall develop an annually updated and released comprehensive guide for municipal zoning under section 3 of chapter 40A of the General Laws and other state law and federal law, for use by municipalities and social service agencies while considering issues including but not limited to federal and state law, constitutional issues and state and federal case law.

The director shall compile a report including every facility in the commonwealth that claims property tax exemption under chapter 40A section 3 to be included in an annual report submitted to the house and senate committees on ways and means, the joint committee of children and families, the joint committee on mental health and substance abuse, the joint committee on municipalities and regional government and the joint committee on housing.