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Read. Follow. Verify.Massachusetts legislature creates statewide assessment on streaming services to fund community media programming
Last action · November 19, 2025: Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and MeansSponsors: Joan Meschino and 70 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Streaming entertainment operators earning over $250,000 annually in Massachusetts must pay a state assessment on to fund public, educational, and governmental access media facilities, under a new bill introduced in the General Court. The legislation establishes the Streaming Entertainment Fund, requires bi-annual financial reporting, and authorizes audits and monetary penalties for non-compliance.
Community media centers will receive dedicated revenue distributions twice a year to support their operating costs, while streaming providers operating in the Commonwealth face new mandatory fees, reporting obligations, and potential legal action by the Attorney General for unpaid assessments.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
streaming entertainment operators
Streaming entertainment operators earning over $250,000 annually must pay state assessments, file bi-annual financial statements, submit to audits, and face penalties for non-compliance.
operators of public, educational, or governmental access facilities
PEG access facility operators receive bi-annual revenue distributions from the Streaming Entertainment Fund to support their operating expenses.
municipalities
Municipalities are authorized to establish local PEG Access and Streaming Entertainment Funds in their treasury to receive and appropriate assessment-derived funds.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which streaming providers are required to pay the new assessment?
How often must streaming operators submit financial statements to the state?
Where do the collected assessment funds go?
What happens if an operator fails to pay the assessment on time?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
5 actions- Nov 19, 2025HouseCommitteeBill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means
- Oct 8, 2025HouseReporting date extended until Friday, November 14, 2025
- Jun 30, 2025JointHearing scheduled for 07/10/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2
- Feb 27, 2025SenateSenate concurred
- Feb 27, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to the committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Show 66 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of franchise fee concepts to digital streaming
The legislation extends traditional cable franchise fee models and public rights-of-way compensation frameworks to modern digital streaming entertainment services.
Connected Entities
Sources
malegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance80How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz50Current news / social attention level
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