Bill > S41

This bill establishes a comprehensive statewide policy for regulating and collecting fees from streaming entertainment services that use public rights-of-way in Massachusetts. The legislation creates a new legal framework that requires streaming entertainment operators earning over $250,000 annually to pay an assessment based on their gross revenues, with the funds dedicated to supporting public, educational, and governmental (PEG) access media centers. The bill establishes a PEG Access Facilities Revenue Advisory Board to collect industry data and recommend an appropriate assessment rate, which will ensure that PEG access facilities maintain their historical revenue levels. Streaming entertainment operators must submit bi-annual financial statements and pay the assessment, with escalating monetary penalties for late or incomplete submissions. The bill also creates a Streaming Entertainment Fund to collect and distribute the assessments, and provides the Attorney General and local governments with the ability to enforce compliance and recover unpaid assessments within seven years. Importantly, the legislation aims to promote competition, protect consumer interests, and provide a structured approach to regulating emerging digital entertainment services while supporting local community media programming.

Business and Industry

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S41