THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2026 Page 15 Senate passes E-Bike Safety Policy Special to Th e Advocate This bill accounts for these T he state Senate this week passed an economic development package that regulates micromobility devices, including electric scooters and e-bikes by adopting an innovative speed-based framework to keep pace with rapidly evolving technology and address widespread safety concerns. “E-bikes and other micromobility devices are an important part of our transportation system, giving an affordable way for residents to get to work, school, the grocery store, medical appointments, and connect with our public transportation system,” Senator Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) said in a press release issued by his offi ce. “As Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation, I was proud to collaborate with stakeholders in municipal government, law enforcement, small business owners, and transportation advocates to build a framework that prioritizes safety for everyone on our roads, bike lanes, sidewalks, and trails,” Crighton said. “Striking the right balance between accessibility and safety, this policy is a critical step to prevent serious Injuries and save lives.” Recent advances in e-bike and electric scooter technology have rendered existing laws insufficient to ensure the safe use of these devices, according to Crighton. CITY COUNCIL | FROM Page 3 dents with specialized transportation needs,” said State Representative Jessica Giannino, 16th Suff olk District. “I appreciate the Revere City Council for unanimously supporting this important eff ort, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in the Legislature to move these reforms forward.” By passing this resolution, Revere joins a growing group of Massachusetts communities advocating for commonsense reforms to developments by establishing universal and adaptable safety standards, along with further provisions that keep young children off of powered devices, some of which can reach speeds of 30 miles per hour, and ban mopeds and similar devices from operating in bike lanes and shared use paths. The legislation establishes a multi-tiered speed-based system to apply standards and restrictions to each vehicle, ensuring that the bill includes more devices as they become available in the future. Each speed tier has increased restrictions, ensuring that safety remains a top priority. The tiers apply standards of the types of safety features that must be built into the vehicle, safety requirements for vehicle operators, as well as right of way allowances. Additionally, the bill includes a statewide 20 miles per hour default speed limit for shared use paths to reduce crashes, additional electrical safety standards on lithium-ion powered mopeds to prevent them from becoming fi re hazards, and prohibition on operation of powered micromobility devices for children under 14 years of age to keep children off of the most dangerous devices. It extends existing youth helmet law to all micromolower transportation costs while maintaining safe student transportation. This comes as Attorney General Andrea J. Campbell’s offi ce announced a $2.4 million settlement with a school busing company for illegally colluding and infl ating special education transportation prices in several school districts. By replacing outdated vehicle mandates that restrict market entry, H.3772 and S.3021 would advance essential good-government principles, opening the market to more vendors, increasing competitive bidding, and protecting taxpayer dollars from predatory pricing. bility devices and requires all users regardless of age to wear protective headgear when operating anything above tier 0. The legislation also establishes a working group to iron out other priorities, such as updating the crash report form, and establishing a micro-ID pilot program. The provisions in the economic development bill build off of the critical work and recommendations of the Special Commission on Micromobility which focused on providing much needed guidance for our cities and towns, promoting the responsible development of these new transportation options, and improving the safety of all road users. Releasing their report in January 2026, the Commission reviewed current laws and regulations, making recommendations to support the expanding use of micromobility devices throughout the Commonwealth. Senator Crighton had the opportunity to serve as a commission member in his capacity as Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation. Other commission members included law enforcement, members of the Healey-Driscoll Administration, and transportation advocates. The Senate passed the bill and sent it back to the House of Representatives for further consideration. UMass Amherst announces spring 2026 grads A pproximately 7,000 students received bachelor’s degrees in over 100 majors at UMass Amherst’s Undergraduate Commencement on May 15, 2026, at the McGuirk Alumni Stadium. Here is a list of students from Revere who received a bachelor’s degree from the university: Kenny Arango, Razan Sara Belguendouz, Jonathan Graciano Fula, Julian Angelo Goglia, Hsuanyu Lin, Jaeron Valera Mercado, Cindy Pham, Fiorella Ventura. PROBATE COURT CLOSING STATEMENT A Closing Statement can be fi led by the Personal Representative of an estate with a Massachusetts probate court by using Form MPC 850. This is done to formally close the estate. The Personal Representative is confirming that all debts, taxes and distributions to benefi ciaries of the estate have been handled properly. This is pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 193B, Section 3-1003. The Personal Representative is certifying to the court that the estate has been fully administered, including the payment of debts, income taxes, estate taxes and expenses, and that assets have been distributed to the rightful benefi ciaries in the proper amounts and manner. Form MPC 850 is the mechanism for formally closing the estate. The Personal Representative must also provide notice and a full accounting to distributees, creditors or other claimants whose claims are unpaid or not barred by statute. The Personal Representative of the estate is certifying under the pains and penalties of perjury that the information is accurate to the best of his or her knowledge and is ensuring to the court that there is no court order or pending proceeding that would prevent the estate from being formally closed. The Personal Representative is also stating that the administration of the estate is not being formally supervised by the Probate Court. Once the Closing Statement is fi led with the Probate Court, if there are no proceedings involving the Personal Representative within one year from the date of filing, the Closing Statement generally cannot be challenged, except for fraud or manifest error. A Closing Statement provides legal protection for the Personal Representative and assurance to the estate beneficiaries that the estate has been property settled. The Personal Representative is also stating that the creditor claim period for the estate has expired. Creditors have one year from the date of death to fi le a complaint with a court of law having proper jurisdiction in order to bring an action against the estate for a claim. MassHealth has to be notifi ed of any probate proceeding via certifi ed mail. If MassHealth has a claim for Medicaid benefits paid to the decedent during life, it will send a letter to the attorney representing the estate setting forth the balance of the unpaid claim. If the decedent was on MassHealth for heath insurance benefi ts while living at home, and was age 55 or older while receiving those benefi ts, MassHealth will seek to recover amounts paid against the decedent’s probate estate. This is another good reason to utilize Trusts as part of one’s estate plan. Joseph D. Cataldo is an Estate Planning/Elder Law Attorney, Certifi ed Public Accountant, Certifi ed Financial Planner, AICPA Personal Financial Specialist and holds a Master’s Degree in Taxation.
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