Session Laws

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to immediately regulate the awarding of certain contracts by municipal light departments, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 56B of chapter 164 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 1990 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the first sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- All contracts made by a municipal light commission where the amount involved is five thousand dollars or more shall be in writing.

SECTION 2. Section 56C of said chapter 164, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the first sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- Every municipal light commission or manager thereof, who makes or executes a contract on behalf of a municipal lighting plant, where the amount involved is five thousand dollars or more, shall furnish said contract or a copy thereof to the city or town auditor within one week after its execution.

SECTION 3. Section 56D of said chapter 164, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the first sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:- No contract for the purchase of equipment, supplies or materials, the actual or estimated cost of which amounts to ten thousand dollars or more, and no contract for the purchase of generation, transmission or distribution equipment, the actual cost or estimated cost of which amounts to ten thousand or more, except in cases of special emergencies involving the health, safety or welfare of the people or their property, shall be awarded unless proposals for the same have been invited by advertisement in at least one newspaper published in the city or town in which the lighting plant is located, or, if there is no such newspaper, in a newspaper published in the same county, such publication to be at least one week before the time specified for the opening of said proposals.