pk
October 3rd, 2007, 01:37 PM
Please send an email or letter supporting MA Senate Bill No. 559
~ “An Act Relative to Public Access for Recreational Trails.”
Please send an email or letter to your State Representative and Senator urging their support of this bill. To find your representative and senator’s contact info, please visit www.wheredoivotema.com (http://www.wheredoivotema.com/).
This bill clarifies Massachusetts’s Recreational Use Statute by specifying that companies and corporations are equally protected from accident liability if they allow public recreation on their properties as are private landowners, nonprofit corporations (such as NEMBA) and government agencies.
Why Support his Bill? There are many properties owned by companies and corporations which could have better public trail access is these companies are assured that they are not going to be held liable by offering recreational opportunities. This bill also includes liability protection even if there are structures used by the electric, gas and other companies on the property.
Those to be protected from recreational liability under Bill No. 559 would include:
“the person having any interest in the land, his agent, manager, or licensee and shall include without limitation, any governmental body, agency or instrumentality, nonprofit corporation, trust, association, corporation, company, or any other business organization and any director, officer, trustee, member, employee, authorized volunteer, or agent thereof.”
Need an Example? National Grid, for example, owns many power lines throughout the commonwealth, including those that abut NEMBA’s property in Milford, MA. Access to these corridors is routinely denied because of potential liability concerns and concerns that injuries may take place on their transmission towers, etc. Senate Bill No. 559 could help allay these concerns.
To read Senate Bill No.559 -- http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate/185/st00/st00559.htm (http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate/185/st00/st00559.htm)
To read the current Recreational Use Statute -- http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/21-17c.htm (http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/21-17c.htm)
Please contact your State senator and representative and urge their support for the bill.
~ “An Act Relative to Public Access for Recreational Trails.”
Please send an email or letter to your State Representative and Senator urging their support of this bill. To find your representative and senator’s contact info, please visit www.wheredoivotema.com (http://www.wheredoivotema.com/).
This bill clarifies Massachusetts’s Recreational Use Statute by specifying that companies and corporations are equally protected from accident liability if they allow public recreation on their properties as are private landowners, nonprofit corporations (such as NEMBA) and government agencies.
Why Support his Bill? There are many properties owned by companies and corporations which could have better public trail access is these companies are assured that they are not going to be held liable by offering recreational opportunities. This bill also includes liability protection even if there are structures used by the electric, gas and other companies on the property.
Those to be protected from recreational liability under Bill No. 559 would include:
“the person having any interest in the land, his agent, manager, or licensee and shall include without limitation, any governmental body, agency or instrumentality, nonprofit corporation, trust, association, corporation, company, or any other business organization and any director, officer, trustee, member, employee, authorized volunteer, or agent thereof.”
Need an Example? National Grid, for example, owns many power lines throughout the commonwealth, including those that abut NEMBA’s property in Milford, MA. Access to these corridors is routinely denied because of potential liability concerns and concerns that injuries may take place on their transmission towers, etc. Senate Bill No. 559 could help allay these concerns.
To read Senate Bill No.559 -- http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate/185/st00/st00559.htm (http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate/185/st00/st00559.htm)
To read the current Recreational Use Statute -- http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/21-17c.htm (http://www.mass.gov/legis/laws/mgl/21-17c.htm)
Please contact your State senator and representative and urge their support for the bill.