Session Laws

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. Chapter four hundred and ninety-six of the acts of nineteen hundred and sixty-five is hereby repealed.

SECTION 2. Notwithstanding the provisions of section fifty A of chapter forty-three of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, if a vacancy occurs on the city council of the city of Springfield for any cause during the term of office of a city councillor, the city clerk shall forthwith notify said city council and the board of election commissioners and, within fifteen days after such notification, said board of election commissioners shall certify, in writing, to the city clerk the person with the next highest number of votes from the most recent municipal election who is eligible and willing to serve, and the city clerk shall administer the oath of office to such individual at the next meeting of said city council to fill the remainder of the unexpired term of said city council member until the next regular municipal election. If the person who is eligible declines the office, then the person with the next highest number of votes at such election who is eligible and willing to serve shall fill the remainder of the unexpired term of said city council member until the next regular municipal election. If no person from the most recent regular municipal election is eligible and willing to serve on said city council, then the remaining members of the city council shall choose a registered voter of the city who is eligible and willing to serve on the city council for the remainder of the unexpired term.

SECTION 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of section thirty-six of chapter forty-three of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, if a vacancy occurs on the school committee of the city of Springfield for any cause during the term of office of a school committee member, the city clerk shall forthwith notify the school committee and the board of election commissioners and, within fifteen days after such notification, the board of election commissioners shall certify to the city clerk, in writing, the person with the next highest number of votes from the most recent municipal election at which the school committee member who has vacated said office was elected thereto, who is eligible and willing to serve, and the city clerk shall administer the oath of office to such individual at the next meeting of the school committee to fill the remainder of the unexpired term of said school committee member. If the person who is eligible declines the office, then the person with the next highest number of votes at such election who is eligible and willing to serve shall fill the remainder of the unexpired term of said school committee member. If no such person is eligible and willing to serve on the school committee, then the remaining members of the school committee shall choose any registered voter of the city who is eligible and willing to serve on the school committee for the remainder of the unexpired term.

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon its passage.