Massachusetts Legislation House Bill 3982
We recently learned that the Massachusetts Legislature has a proposed House Bill, No. 3892 that proposes a commission to investigate Mineralogical, Paleontological and Archeological resources in the state, that may ultimately affect your ability to collect minerals and fossils on state and private properties. The bill was introduced in May and was brought to our attention in a recent newspaper article.
"Archeologists, paleontologists, and geologists are calling on the Legislature to advance a bill that they say would help bring clarity to outdated and vague laws around recovering, studying, and protecting fossils and artifacts. The push follows a spike in popularity around finding fossils in Massachusetts as a result of the campaign to create an official state dinosaur."1
We will follow the legislation process, but in the meantime, it is advised that all collectors, rock shop owners, and fossil dealers residing or doing business within the state, read the current bill and contact your local legislators in both the Massachuesetts House and Senate.
| Date | Action | Branch |
| 6/17/2021 | Referred to the committee on House Rules. | House |
| 7/19/2021 | Reported, referred to the committee on Joint Rules, reported, rules suspended and referred to the committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture. | House |
| 7/21/2021 | Senate concurred. | Senate |
| 11/30/2021 | Hearing scheduled for 12/07/2021 from 01:00 PM-04:00 PM in Virtual Hearing | Joint |
Notes:
1. "After popularity of Massachusetts state dinosaur campaign, clarity sought on protecting fossils and artifacts", Posted Jul 22, 2021, By Chris Van Buskirk | State House News Service
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