LSPA's Home Heating Oil Insurance Bill Still Positioned for Passage

The Legislature’s Formal Session ended on July 31, 2022, without passage of the LSPA’s bill, An Act relative to the remediation of home heating oil releasesThe LSPA was thrilled that the bill passed the Senate in April 2022 with a unanimous roll-call vote, indicating that Senators wanted to be on-record as supporting our bill. It was then sent to the House Committee on Ways and Means but did not advance in time for closure of the formal session.    

This is the furthest our bill has advanced over three sessions and we have not given up on the bill’s passage this session. The informal legislative session ends on January 2, 2023. Once the legislature has made decisions on more complex bills (e.g., economic development bill; FY '22 final supplemental budget), there should be a window for action for us.  We don’t expect this to happen until the end of September or early October.

The LSPA Legislative Committee, LSPA Board and staff, and our lobbyists from Lynch & Fierro are laser focused on moving this bill forward. We are determined to close the legislative loophole that still allows insurers to exclude residential properties from automatic coverage for home heating oil releases. 

The LSPA extends sincere appreciation to our supporters and advocates who have helped us come this far:

  • Senator Anne Gobi, the bill’s sponsor and Senate champion for three sessions;
  • Senator Michael Rodrigues, Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means;
  • Our environmental colleagues at MA Association of Conservation Commissioners (MACC), MA Rivers Alliance, Charles River Watershed Association, Mystic River Watershed Association, OARS: For the Assabet, Sudbury, and Concord Rivers, and Community Action Works;
  • MA Public Interest Research Group (MASSPIRG); and
  • News media including this article and editorial from the Boston Globe, a series of stories by Ryan Kath at NBC Boston, and WGBH.

Each year there are far too many homeowners in the terrible predicament of having no insurance to pay for remediating an oil spill on their property. We are so grateful for all the homeowners who generously shared their painful stories with legislators and the media; they have chosen to advocate for this legislation even while knowing that it is too late for them to benefit.

We will keep LSPA members informed of the bill's progress in the months ahead.

 

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