Bill > H3032

This bill reforms the payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT) for state-owned land by modifying how municipalities are reimbursed for state-owned property. The bill removes references to "reimbursement percentages" in existing law and replaces Section 17 of Chapter 58 with a new provision that requires the state treasurer to annually reimburse cities and towns with state-owned land by calculating payments based on the land's value and using an average tax rate from the previous three years. Importantly, the bill mandates that reimbursements cannot be less than the prior year's amount, except when land is removed from the valuation. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Revenue and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to jointly develop recommendations for future legislative amendments within one year. These recommendations should explore ways to value state-owned land more comprehensively, considering factors like carbon storage, ecosystem services, protected open space, forest cover, environmental contributions, and ensuring equitable reimbursement across different regions of Massachusetts. The agencies must hold a public hearing, accept comments, and submit their recommendations to legislative committees and make them publicly available.

Budget and Finance

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H3032