[ Text of section effective until January 1, 2013. For text effective January 1, 2013, see below.]

  Section 23. Bills and resolves passed to be engrossed by the general court, and bills for which initiative petitions are completed under the constitution of the commonwealth, shall, under the direction of the committees on rules of the two branches, acting concurrently, be fairly engrossed in such manner and by utilizing such equipment as said committees shall determine. The enacting clause of bills for which initiative petitions are completed shall be in the form prescribed by section three of chapter four. The state secretary shall cause the acts and resolves of each session to be neatly and strongly bound in separate volumes of convenient size and lettered on the back with a designation of the contents and the legislative year. If acts or resolves are becoming illegible, he shall cause copies thereof, similar to the originals, to be prepared and shall attest them. Such attested copies shall have the same force and effect as the originals.

  If the clerk of the senate, with the approval of the president thereof, and the speaker of the house, determines that the business of the general court will be expedited thereby, the legislative engrossing division shall prepare for final passage by the general court an exact copy of any bill specified by said clerk, as passed to be engrossed by both branches, so far as possible by pasting a printed copy of said bill, as so passed, on the kind and size of paper designated by the said committees on rules and the copy so prepared shall be deemed to have been fairly engrossed as hereinbefore required.

  Notwithstanding the provisions of sections two, three and four of chapter five, if the state secretary deems that the public convenience would be served thereby, he shall not cause said bill, as enacted into law, to be printed and published, as provided in said sections, but shall print in the publications provided for by said sections, under the chapter number of said bill as enacted, its title, the date when it becomes law and an appropriate reference indicating that the bill has been prepared for final passage as hereinbefore provided; and he shall cause five hundred copies of said bill, as enacted, to be printed and published separately in such form as he may determine. He shall distribute the same in such manner as he may determine. Copies of said act so separately printed and published shall have the same force and effect as though printed and published in accordance with said sections.

Chapter 3: Section 23. Bills and resolves; form of engrossment; printing and publication; copies; distribution

[ Text of section as amended by 2012, 165, Sec. 5 effective January 1, 2013. See 2012, 165, Sec. 137. For text effective until January 1, 2013, see above.]

  Section 23. Bills and resolves passed to be engrossed by the general court, and bills for which initiative petitions are completed under the constitution of the commonwealth, shall, under the direction of the committees on rules of the 2 branches, acting concurrently, be fairly engrossed in such manner and by utilizing such equipment as said committees shall determine. The enacting clause of bills for which initiative petitions are completed shall be in the form prescribed by section 3 of chapter 4. The state secretary shall cause the acts and resolves of each session to be neatly and strongly bound in separate volumes of convenient size and lettered on the back with a designation of the contents and the legislative year. If acts or resolves are becoming illegible, the state secretary shall cause copies of the acts or resolves, similar to the originals, to be prepared and shall attest them. Such attested copies shall have the same force and effect as the originals.

  If the clerk of the senate, with the approval of the president of the senate and the speaker of the house, determines that it would expedite the business of the general court, the legislative engrossing division shall prepare for final passage by the general court an exact copy of any bill specified by said clerk, as passed to be engrossed by both branches, so far as possible by pasting a printed copy of said bill, as so passed, on the kind and size of paper designated by said committees on rules and the copy so prepared shall be deemed to have been fairly engrossed.