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H3307 • 2025

An Act banning hostile architecture targeting unhoused individuals

An Act banning hostile architecture targeting unhoused individuals

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Mike Connolly
Last action
2025-12-04
Official status
Referred to House Committee on Bills in the Third Reading
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act banning hostile architecture targeting unhoused individuals

An Act banning hostile architecture targeting unhoused individuals By Representative Connolly of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act banning hostile architecture targeting unhoused individuals By Representative Connolly of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 3307) of Mike Connolly for legislation to prohibit the construction of publicly accessible buildings or structures designed or intended to prevent unhoused individuals from sitting or lying on the building or structure at street level.
  • State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.
  • Status: Referred to House Committee on Bills in the Third Reading

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-12-04 House

    Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting

  2. 2025-12-04 House

    Rules suspended

  3. 2025-12-04 House

    Read second and ordered to a third reading

  4. 2025-11-12 House

    Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling

  5. 2025-09-03 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 09/09/2025 from 10:00 AM-1:00 PM in A-1 and virtual

  6. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight

  7. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act banning hostile architecture targeting unhoused individuals
By Representative Connolly of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3307) of Mike Connolly for legislation to prohibit the construction of publicly accessible buildings or structures designed or intended to prevent unhoused individuals from sitting or lying on the building or structure at street level. State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Bills in the Third Reading

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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Bill H.3307

SECTION 1. Chapter 40 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 70. (a) For purposes of this section, the term “Hostile architecture” shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, mean any building or structure that is designed or intended to prevent unhoused individuals from sitting or lying on the building or structure at street level; provided, that hostile architecture shall not include design elements intended to prevent individuals from skateboarding or rollerblading or to prevent vehicles from entering certain areas.

(b) A municipality shall not install or construct hostile architecture in any publicly accessible building or on publicly accessible real property owned by or under the control of the municipality.

SECTION 2. Chapter 7C of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 73. (a) For purposes of this section, the term “Hostile architecture” shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, mean any building or structure that is designed or intended to prevent unhoused individuals from sitting or lying on the building or structure at street level; provided, that hostile architecture shall not include design elements intended to prevent individuals from skateboarding or rollerblading or to prevent vehicles from entering certain areas.

(b) The commissioner shall not install or construct hostile architecture in any publicly accessible capital facility or on publicly accessible real property under the commissioner’s control or supervision.

SECTION 3. Chapter 161A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 53. (a) For purposes of this section, the term “Hostile architecture” shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, mean any building or structure that is designed or intended to prevent unhoused individuals from sitting or lying on the building or structure at street level; provided, that hostile architecture shall not include design elements intended to prevent individuals from skateboarding or rollerblading or to prevent vehicles from entering certain areas.

(b) The authority shall not install or construct hostile architecture in any publicly accessible mass transportation facilities under the authority’s control or supervision.

SECTION 4. Chapter 265 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 73. (a) For purposes of this section, the term “Hostile architecture” shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, mean any building or structure that is designed or intended to prevent unhoused individuals from sitting or lying on the building or structure at street level; provided, that hostile architecture shall not include design elements intended to prevent individuals from skateboarding or rollerblading or to prevent vehicles from entering certain areas.

(b) Whoever installs or constructs hostile architecture on any publicly accessible real property shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500 for each day in violation of this section.

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