Bill > S890

This bill, by adding a new section to Chapter 79 of the General Laws, requires that the government or any entity using eminent domain, which is the power of the government to take private property for public use, must demonstrate that the taking is for a "public use" and is reasonably necessary, especially when the property will be used by a private party. The bill explicitly defines "public use" to include only the general public or public agencies occupying and enjoying the land, the creation or functioning of public utilities or common carriers, or the removal of public nuisances, dilapidated structures, or the acquisition of abandoned property in its current state; importantly, it clarifies that economic benefits like increased tax revenue or jobs will no longer be considered a sufficient "public use" to justify eminent domain.