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S1231 • 2025

An Act relative to preventing ocean littering

An Act relative to preventing ocean littering

Active

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

Sponsor
Patrick M. O'Connor
Last action
2026-02-19
Official status
Referred to Senate Committee on Ways and Means
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 preventing ocean littering

An Act relative to preventing ocean littering By Mr.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to preventing ocean littering By Mr.
  • O'Connor, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No.
  • 1231) of Patrick M.
  • O'Connor for legislation relative to preventing ocean littering.

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. 2026-02-19 Senate

    Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means

  2. 2026-02-12 Senate

    Reporting date extended to Monday March 2, 2026

  3. 2025-11-04 Joint

    Hearing rescheduled to 11/04/2025 from 01:00 PM-02:30 PM in A-1 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time

  4. 2025-11-04 Joint

    Hearing rescheduled to 11/04/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-1 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time

  5. 2025-10-29 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 11/04/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-1

  6. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Referred to the committee on The Judiciary

  7. 2025-02-27 House

    House concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to preventing ocean littering
By Mr. O'Connor, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1231) of Patrick M. O'Connor for legislation relative to preventing ocean littering. The Judiciary.
Status:
Referred to Senate Committee on Ways and Means

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
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Bill S.1231

Section 16 of Chapter 270 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking the section in its entirety and replacing it with the following:-

“Section 16. Whoever places, throws, deposits or discharges or whoever causes to be placed, thrown, deposited or discharged, trash, bottles or cans, refuse, rubbish, garbage, debris, scrap, waste or other material of any kind on a public highway or within 20 yards of a public highway, or on any other public land, or on property of another, or on lands dedicated for open space purposes, including lands subject to conservation restrictions and agricultural preservation restrictions as defined in chapter 184, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $5,500 for the first offense and a fine not to exceed $15,000 for each subsequent offense; provided, however, that 50 per cent of the fine imposed shall be deposited in the conservation trust established in section 1 of chapter 132A and the court may also require that the violator remove, at his own expense, the trash, refuse, rubbish, debris or materials. The permission of the owner of land to place, throw, deposit or discharge trash, refuse, rubbish, garbage, debris, scrap, waste or other material on the owner's land shall constitute a defense in any trial for such offense.

Whoever places, throws, deposits or discharges or whoever causes to be placed, thrown, deposited or discharged, trash, bottles or cans, refuse, rubbish, garbage, debris, scrap, waste or other material of any kind upon coastal or inland waters, as defined in section 1 of chapter 131, or within 20 yards of such waters shall be punished by a fine of not more than $6,800 for the first offense and a fine not to exceed $18,750 for each subsequent offense; provided, however, that 50 per cent of the fine imposed shall be deposited in the conservation trust established in section 1 of chapter 132A and the court may also require that the violator remove, at his own expense, the trash, refuse, rubbish, debris or materials.”

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