Bill > S2873

This bill amends a previous law to impose an embarkation fee of $2.00 per passenger per departing trip on all passenger ferry trips originating from a port located within certain Massachusetts counties, excluding ferry boats licensed to transport no more than 100 passengers. The operator of the ferry service must pay the fee revenues to the Commissioner of Revenue, who will distribute the funds to the relevant fire districts, cities, and towns based on a specified formula. The cities, towns, and fire districts must deposit the funds in a special account to be used solely for mitigating the impacts of ferry service, such as harbor services, public safety, emergency services, or infrastructure improvements. Passengers with certain commuter, student, or school-related fares will be exempt from the fee.