H3812 • 2025

An Act relative to roadway safety

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

Sponsor: Thomas P. Walsh
Last action: 2025-09-08
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 relative to roadway safety

An Act relative to roadway safety By Representative Walsh of Peabody, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

An Act relative to roadway safety By Representative Walsh of Peabody, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
3812) of Thomas P.
Walsh and David T.
Vieira relative to the removal of ice and snow from motor vehicles.

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

2025-09-08 House
Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting
2025-09-08 House
Rules suspended
2025-09-08 House
Read second and ordered to a third reading
2025-08-18 House
Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling
2025-05-27 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 06/03/2025 from 11:00 AM-01:00 PM in B-2
2025-02-27 House
Referred to the committee on Transportation
2025-02-27 Senate
Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to roadway safety
By Representative Walsh of Peabody, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3812) of Thomas P. Walsh and David T. Vieira relative to the removal of ice and snow from motor vehicles. Transportation.
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.3812

Section 1:

Section 36 of chapter 85 of the MGL as appearing in the 2022 edition, his hereby amended by inserting at the end thereof the following:

Section 36A

Except as otherwise provided in this section, a driver of a motor vehicle or motor carrier vehicle being operated on a public roadway of this Commonwealth shall make reasonable efforts to remove accumulated ice or snow from the motor vehicle or motor carrier vehicle, including the hood, trunk and roof of the motor vehicle or motor carrier vehicle, within 24 hours after the cessation of the falling snow or ice.

Section 36A shall not apply if:

(i) the driver of the motor carrier vehicle, mass transit vehicle, bus or school bus is en route to a facility to remove accumulated ice or snow at the time of the stop under paragraph (3); or

(ii) compliance with this section would cause the driver of the motor carrier vehicle, mass transit vehicle, bus or school bus to violate any other Federal or State law or regulation regarding workplace safety or would be a threat to the health and safety of the driver.

(iii) A driver of a motor vehicle or motor carrier vehicle who violates this subsection may be stopped on a public roadway by a police officer if the police officer believes the accumulated ice or snow may pose a threat to persons or property.

2. A violation of this section shall be subject to a penalty as promulgated in chapter 85, section 36 of the Massachusetts General Laws.

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