An Act allowing municipalities to reasonably regulate solar siting
Generates a plain-language summary of the bill text and history.
| Date | Branch | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 8/14/2025 | House | Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means |
| 7/9/2025 | Joint | Hearing scheduled for 07/22/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-1 |
| 2/27/2025 | Senate | Senate concurred |
| 2/27/2025 | House | Referred to the committee on Municipalities and Regional Government |
No additional cosponsors.
| Committee | Recommendation | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| J10 | Favorable | 1 entries |
of chapter 40A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the ninth paragraph, in lines 123 to 126, inclusive, and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:- No zoning ordinance or by-law shall prohibit or unreasonably regulate the installation of solar energy systems or the building of structures that facilitate the collection of solar energy for residential purposes except where necessary to protect the public health, safety or welfare. Commercial, governmental, and non-residential solar energy structures and systems may be reasonably regulated for purposes of (i) protecting public health, safety and welfare; (ii) preserving forested lands, agricultural lands, or wetlands; or (iii) ensuring compatibility with municipal zoning.
Section 3 of chapter 40A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the ninth paragraph, in lines 123 to 126, inclusive, and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:- No zoning ordinance or by-law shall prohibit or unreasonably regulate the installation of solar energy systems or the building of structures that facilitate the collection of solar energy for residential purposes except where necessary to protect the public health, safety or welfare. Commercial, governmental, and non-residential solar energy structures and systems may be reasonably regulated for purposes of (i) protecting public health, safety and welfare; (ii) preserving forested lands, agricultural lands, or wetlands; or (iii) ensuring compatibility with municipal zoning.