reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 161a § 16 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 161a - Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|Section 16 - Rights of Holders of Bonds

Section 16. Any holder of bonds or refunding bonds issued under the provisions of this chapter or of any of the coupons appertaining thereto, and the trustee under the trust agreement, if any, except to the extent the rights herein given may be restricted by such resolution or trust agreement, may, either at law or in equity, by suit, action, mandamus or other proceeding, protect and enforce any and all rights under the laws of the commonwealth or granted hereunder or under such resolution or trust agreement, and may enforce and compel the performance of all duties required by this chapter or by such resolution or trust agreement to be performed by the authority or by any officer thereof.
MA Gen L ch 161a § 17 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 161a - Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|Section 17 - Issuance of Interest Bearing or Discounted Notes; Bond Anticipation Notes

Section 17. The authority is authorized to provide by resolution at one time or from time to time for the issue of interest bearing or discounted notes for the purposes and in the amounts that bonds may be issued. The notes shall be payable within three years from their dates, but the principal of and interest on notes issued for a shorter period may be renewed or paid from time to time by the issue of other notes hereunder maturing within the required time from the date of the original loan being refunded. When bonds are issued for the purposes for which the notes were issued, the proceeds of the bonds shall be used to repay the notes, except that interest on the notes may be financed as a current expense to the extent deemed appropriate by the authority. The notes may be secured by a trust agreement or by the provisions of a resolution, as in the case of bonds. Bond anticipation notes may be issued either before or after the authorization of the bonds being anticipated.
MA Gen L ch 161a § 19 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 161a - Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|Section 19 - Stabilization Fund; Fare Stability Fund

Section 19. The authority shall establish a Stabilization Fund into which it shall deposit revenues in excess of expenses pursuant to section 21 until the fund balance is equal to or greater than 5 per cent of total revenues of the fiscal year most recently ended. The authority may draw funds from the Stabilization Fund only in the event that, after implementing all efficiencies and savings possible, annual revenues are projected to be less than annual expenses, or if it has insufficient funds on-hand to pay current expenses. The authority may not assume draws from the Stabilization Fund in preparing its budget pursuant to section 20. In the event the authority draws funds from the Stabilization Fund, it shall file with the secretary of administration and finance, the secretary of transportation and construction, the joint committee on transportation and the house and senate committees on ways and means a financial plan that projects to produce in the following fiscal year an excess of revenues over expenses.  The authority shall also establish a Fare Stability Fund, into which it shall deposit revenues in excess of expenses pursuant to section 21. The authority may assume draws from the Fare Stability Fund in preparing its budget pursuant to section 20. Funds in said Fare Stability Fund shall be utilized within five fiscal years after being deposited.
MA Gen L ch 161a § 21 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 161a - Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|Section 21 - Allocation of Annual Revenues in Excess of Expenses

Section 21. Annual revenues in excess of expenses shall be allocated in the following order:  (a) to fully fund all debt service reserves required under the trust agreements of any bonds of the authority then outstanding, and to fund in advance the debt service reserve requirements of any bond issuances planned for the upcoming fiscal year, in each case to the extent required by an applicable bond resolution or trust agreement securing bonds of the authority;  (b) to fund the Stabilization Fund established pursuant to the first paragraph of section 19;  (c) 50 per cent of any revenues in excess of expenses remaining after all debt service reserve requirement and the Stabilization Fund are fully funded shall be deposited in the Fare Stability Fund established pursuant to the second paragraph of section 19;  (d) 50 per cent of any revenues in excess of expenses remaining after all debt service reserve requirement and the Stabilization Fund are fully funded shall pay for capital improvements in lieu of bond proceeds or be applied to the retirement of outstanding bonds.
MA Gen L ch 161a § 23 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 161a - Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|Section 23 - Biennial Report by State Auditor

Section 23. The department of the state auditor shall biennially make an audit of the accounts of the authority and make a report thereon to the directors, the governor and the general court. In making said audits, said department of the state auditor may call upon any of the departments, commissions, officers and agencies of the commonwealth for such information as may be needed in the course of making such audits. The state auditor may employ such auditors, accountants and other assistants as he deems necessary for carrying out said duties, and chapter 31 and the rules made thereunder shall not apply to such employees. The commonwealth shall be reimbursed by the authority for the cost of the audit.
MA Gen L ch 161a § 24 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 161a - Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|Section 24 - Exemption From Taxation

Section 24. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the authority and all its real and personal property shall be exempt from taxation and from betterments and special assessments; and the authority shall not be required to pay any tax, excise or assessment to or for the commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions; nor shall the authority be required to pay any fee or charge for any permit or license, nor any compliance fee, issued to it by the commonwealth, by any department, board or officer thereof, or by any political subdivision of the commonwealth, or by any department, board or officer of such political subdivision, or by any department; and, so far as constitutionally permissible, the authority shall be exempt from tolls for the use of highways, bridges and tunnels. Bonds and notes issued by the authority, their transfer and the income therefrom, including any profit made on the sale thereof, shall at all times be free from taxation within the commonwealth.  Notwithstanding section 168 of chapter 175 or any other general or special law to the contrary, the authority shall be exempt from any fees or taxes associated with surplus lines insurance; provided, however, that the exemption shall extend to any insurance broker for any insurance premium tax or surplus lines tax being incurred or having been incurred by the insurance broker as a result of the insurance having been procured, placed, negotiated, continued or renewed for or on behalf of the authority. Real property of the authority shall, if leased, used, or occupied in connection with a business conducted for profit shall, for the privilege of such lease, use or occupancy be valued, classified, assessed and taxed annually as of January 1 to the lessee, user, or occupant in the same manner and to the same extent as if such lessee, user, or occupant were the owner thereof in full. No tax assessed under this section shall be a lien upon the real estate with respect to which it is assessed; nor shall any tax be enforced by any sale or taking of such real estate; but the interest of any lessee therein may be sold or taken by the collector of the town in which the real estate lies for the nonpayment of such taxes in the manner provided by law for the sale or taking of real estate for nonpayment of annual taxes. Notwithstanding the previous sentence, such collector may utilize all other remedies provided by chapter 60 for the collection of annual taxes upon real estate and for the collection of taxes assessed under this section.
MA Gen L ch 161a § 26 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 161a - Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|Section 26 - State Labor Relations Law; Applicability; Non-Members; Limitations of Exclusive Representative's Duty of Fair Representation; Grievances

Section 26. Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, the provisions of section 5 of chapter 150A shall so far as apt apply to the authority and its employees, excepting directors, executives and those confidential employees representing the authority and dealing with employee organizations. Nothing in this section shall be construed as conferring upon the employees of the authority the right to strike, nor as detracting from the obligations of the authority and the employees to submit all grievances and other disputes to arbitration.  The exclusive representative may act for and negotiate agreements covering all employees in the unit and shall be responsible for representing the interests of all such employees without discrimination and without regard to employee organization membership. The exclusive representative may require a non-member to pay for the reasonable costs and fees, including arbitrator fees and related attorney fees, for grieving or arbitrating a matter arising under an agreement negotiated pursuant to this section and brought at the non-member's request. The exclusive representative may require non-members to pay anticipated costs and fees prior to a grievance or arbitration hearing. Failure to pay costs and fees shall relieve the exclusive representative of further responsibility to the non-member regarding the matter.  An exclusive representative's duty of fair representation to a public employee who is in the bargaining unit shall be limited to the negotiation and enforcement of the terms of agreements with the authority. The laws of the commonwealth shall not prohibit an employee organization from providing only to its members legal, economic or job-related services or benefits outside of the collective bargaining agreement.  An employee may present a grievance to the authority and have the grievance heard without intervention by the exclusive representative of the employee organization representing the employee; provided, however, that the exclusive representative is afforded the opportunity to be present at conferences and that any adjustment made shall not be inconsistent with the terms of an agreement then in effect between the authority and the exclusive representative.
MA Gen L ch 161a § 27 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 161a - Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|Section 27 - Deceased Employees; Payment of Wages to Nominated Beneficiaries

Section 27. Whenever any employee or former employee of the authority dies, and the authority owes his estate any sum or sums by reason of services rendered by him for wages vacation allowances, and neither a duly appointed executor or administrator nor a administrator has made written demand for payment upon the treasurer of the authority and treasurer shall not otherwise have actual notice that proceedings relative to the formal or settlement of such estate have been commenced in any probate court, such sum or sums may, in the discretion of the authority, be paid after the expiration of 30 days from the death of such employee to such person as may have been nominated as beneficiary, on a form approved by the directors and filed with the treasurer by such employee during his lifetime or, if there is no such beneficiary then to the surviving spouse or next of kin of such employee. Payments made as provided in this section shall discharge all liability of the authority to all persons with respect to such sum or sums.
MA Gen L ch 161a § 28 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 161a - Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|Section 28 - Submission of Dispute Over Terms of Collective Bargaining Agreement to Arbitration

Section 28. Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 25 and 26, the authority or any organizations representing employees of the authority shall not be permitted to submit any dispute over the terms of a collective bargaining agreement to arbitration except in accordance with sections 28 through 32, inclusive; provided, however, that this section shall not limit the rights of organizations representing employees of the authority to submit grievances to arbitration in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement between the parties.
MA Gen L ch 161a § 29 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 161a - Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|Section 29 - Mediation; Report; Selection of Arbitrator

Section 29. In the event the directors and any organizations representing employees of the authority have not reached an agreement within 90 days from the date of the expiration of the agreement, either party may notify the other that it desires mediation. The parties may agree upon a person to serve as a mediator or, if unable to agree on said mediator, either party or the parties acting jointly may petition the board of conciliation and arbitration to appoint a mediator from a list of qualified persons maintained by the board.  After a reasonable period of mediation, not to exceed 45 days from the date of appointment, said mediator shall issue a report indicating the results of his services in resolving the impasse. If at the conclusion of mediation the impasse still exists, the mediator shall so certify. In the event, the mediator shall certify in his report the last best offer of each party on each unresolved issue which has been submitted to mediation and shall also certify the agreement of the parties on each issue on which agreement has been reached and shall submit such certifications to the arbitrator selected by the parties. In such event, so long as the mediator shall also certify that the parties have bargained in good faith, either party may notify the other that it desires arbitration of the dispute. Within 10 days of said notice, the parties shall meet to select a single neutral arbitrator. If, within 15 days, the parties fail to select such single arbitrator, either party may forthwith petition the board of conciliation and arbitration to request a list of five arbitrators from the American Arbitration Association and said Association shall certify to the board that such arbitrators on the list it provides possess the qualifications as provided in section 30. The parties shall thereupon meet to select such arbitrator by striking one name each until one name remains and that person shall serve as the neutral arbitrator. If, after 10 days, one of the parties declines to strike their names, the other party shall strike two names and the board shall forthwith select the arbitrator from the remaining three names.
MA Gen L ch 161a § 30 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 161a - Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|Section 30 - Arbitrator; Requirements

Section 30. The single arbitrator, whether agreed upon by the parties or selected by the board of conciliation and arbitration, shall be a legal resident of the commonwealth and shall be experienced in state and local finance.
MA Gen L ch 161a § 31 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 161a - Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|Section 31 - Factors for Determining Arbitration Awards

Section 31. The arbitrator shall rely primarily on the following factors in determining the basis for an award:  (a) The financial ability of the authority to meet additional costs, which shall include but not be limited to: (i) the statutory requirement that the authority produce revenues in excess of expenses; (ii) the financial ability of the individual communities and the commonwealth to meet additional costs; (iii) the average per capita tax burden, average annual income and sources of revenue within the commonwealth, and the effect of any arbitration award on the respective property tax rates of the cities and towns within the authority's district.  (b) The overall compensation presently received by the employees, having regard not only for wages for time actually worked but also for wages for time not worked, including vacations, holidays and other excused time.  (c) All benefits received by the employees, including insurance, pension, as well as the continuity and stability of employment.  (d) The hazards of employment, physical, educational and mental qualifications, job training and skills involved.  (e) A comparison of wages, hours, and conditions of employment of the employees involved in the arbitration proceedings with the wages, hours and conditions of employment of other employees performing similar services within the commonwealth and with other employees generally in public and private employment within the commonwealth.  (f) The average consumer price for goods and services, commonly known as the cost of living.  (g) Changes in any of the foregoing circumstances during the pendency of the arbitration proceedings.  (h) Such other factors, not confined to the foregoing, which are normally or traditionally taken into consideration in the determination of wages, hours and conditions of employment through voluntary collective bargaining, mediation, fact-finding, arbitration or otherwise between parties, in the public service of the commonwealth, and which are not precluded from bargaining under section 25.  (i) The stipulation of the parties.
MA Gen L ch 161a § 32 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 161a - Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|Section 32 - Arbitration Awards; Written Opinions

Section 32. The arbitrator shall be limited in making his award to choosing between the last best offers of the parties on each issue as certified in the mediator's report or any award in the range between the last best offers of the parties. The arbitrator shall make no award on any issue found by him to be not authorized by law to be submitted to arbitration, but shall state such finding in his written opinion. Within 30 calendar days of an award, the arbitrator shall issue a written opinion inclusive of an analysis of all statutory factors applicable to the proceedings. Any determination by the arbitrator, if supported by material and substantial evidence on the record, shall be binding upon the parties and upon the appropriate legislative or appropriating body and may be enforced at the insistence of either party or by the arbitrator in the superior court. The scope of arbitration shall be limited to wages, hours, and conditions of employment and shall not include any provisions for any cost of living adjustment which are based on changes in the consumer price index after the expiration of the contract period covered by the award. In addition, any wage or salary adjustments shall be expressed in percent or dollar amounts, and in no case shall there be any provision for salary adjustments to occur after the expiration of the contract period covered by the award.  The cost, if any, of the mediation and of arbitration proceedings exclusive of the expenses of the individual parties provided for under sections 28 to 32, inclusive, shall be divided equally by the parties and shall be in accordance with a schedule of payments established by the American Arbitration Association.
MA Gen L ch 161a § 35 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XXII - Corporations|Chapter 161a - Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|Section 35 - Plans for Group, General or Blanket Hospital, Medical, Dental or Other Health Insurance; Employee Share of Monthly Premium; Retirees Under the Age of 65

Section 35. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the authority's percentage share of premiums for group, general or blanket hospital, medical, dental or other health insurance, either by purchase of a policy or policies from one or more insurance companies, or nonprofit hospital, medical, dental or other service corporations, including health maintenance organizations, or by means of a self insurance plan or preferred provider arrangement plan, shall be determined by the authority or, where collective bargaining is authorized, through the process of collective bargaining. The percentage share of premiums for employees of the authority to whom a collective bargaining agreement is in force, shall be the percentage share which was paid during the month that such collective bargaining agreement first went into effect and shall continue until such time as that agreement expires.  Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, a retiree under the age of 65, in a plan for group, general or blanket hospital, medical, dental or other health insurance, either by purchase of a policy from an insurance company, or nonprofit hospital, medical, dental or other service corporation, including a health maintenance organization, or by means of a self-insurance plan or preferred provider arrangement plan of the authority, shall contribute to the total monthly premium or rate applicable to that coverage an amount which shall be not less than the current retiree share of the monthly premium or rate established as a percentage for retirees from the service of the commonwealth.