The bill amends Chapter 166 of the Massachusetts General Laws to streamline the "One Touch Make Ready" (OTMR) process for attaching communication facilities to utility poles. It introduces regulations that facilitate access and coordination among utilities, licensees, and wireless providers, enabling necessary modifications or replacements on joint-use poles for new attachments. The bill defines key terms like "simple make-ready" and "complex make-ready" to differentiate work based on its impact on existing services. Under the new regulations, pole owners can provide a list of qualified contractors authorized to conduct surveys and perform make-ready work, ensuring adherence to safety and operational guidelines. The OTMR process requires contractors to prevent outages and damage, and mandates entities to notify pole owners upon work completion within specified timeframes. It also outlines remediation procedures for any damage or code violations. Additionally, the bill creates structured opportunities for pole owners and attaching entities to review and contest make-ready processes, thus ensuring compliance with safety, reliability, and engineering standards while improving service coordination.

This legislative bill seeks to enhance financial support for microbusinesses, small businesses, and disadvantaged businesses in Massachusetts by amending the state's financial allocation laws. Specifically, it modifies section 49 of chapter 23G of the General Laws to set clear financing distribution goals for the state agency responsible for economic development. The amended law mandates that at least 25 percent of all program financing, and a minimum of 50 percent from the growth capital division's programs, be allocated to microbusinesses. Moreover, at least 50 percent of financing from all programs is directed towards small businesses, ensuring total inclusion from the growth capital division. A significant emphasis is placed on socially or economically disadvantaged businesses—67 percent of all financing should be channeled to minority-owned, women-owned, worker-owned, veteran-owned, or immigrant-owned small businesses. In addition to these amendments, the bill introduces Section 70 to Chapter 23A, under which the executive office of economic development is obligated to prioritize grants, loans, and other forms of assistance to disadvantaged microbusinesses and small businesses whenever possible. The financial assistance distribution follows similar guidelines, with at least 25 percent allocated to microbusinesses, 50 percent to small businesses, and 67 percent to disadvantaged businesses. The overarching aim of these provisions is to support businesses that have historically encountered difficulties in accessing capital, thereby fostering equitable economic opportunities and inclusivity within the Massachusetts economy. 

The bill restructures the minimum corporate tax in Massachusetts by categorizing corporations into nine distinct brackets based on their total sales within the state. Each bracket is assigned a specific minimum tax rate. For corporations with sales under $1,000,000, the minimum tax is $456. Those with sales between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000 face a $1,500 minimum tax, increasing to $2,500 for sales between $5,000,000 and $10,000,000. Companies with sales between $10,000,000 and $25,000,000 are taxed at a minimum of $3,500, while sales from $25,000,000 to $50,000,000 incur a $5,000 minimum tax. The tax jumps to $10,000 for sales between $50,000,000 and $100,000,000, and $25,000 for sales between $100,000,000 and $500,000,000. Corporations with sales between $500,000,000 and $1,000,000,000 are taxed at a $75,000 minimum, and those exceeding $1,000,000,000 will pay a minimum of $150,000. This new tax structure is set to apply to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026. 

This legislation would allow municipalities to enter into a voluntary agreement with institutions which would require large nonprofits and universities to pay 25% of commercial property taxes to municipalities. Rather than requiring negotiations to occur one on one this bill would make paying the PILOT mandatory if the municipality opted in.

These payments would only apply to organizations with property valued at or above $15 million.