HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 177        FILED ON: 1/9/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 978

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Chris Walsh

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to the geographical jurisdiction of the Housing Court Department.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 177        FILED ON: 1/9/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 978

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1656 OF 2015-2016.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

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An Act relative to the geographical jurisdiction of the Housing Court Department.

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 1 of Chapter 185C of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the first sentence and inserting in the place thereof the following sentence: -- The housing court department, established under section 1 of Chapter 211B, shall be composed of a western division, consisting of the municipalities in Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden and Hampshire counties; a central division, consisting of the municipalities in Worcester County and the municipalities of Ashland, Framingham, Hudson, Holliston, Hopkinton, Marlborough, Natick, Sudbury, Wayland, and Sherborn in Middlesex County; a northeastern division, including the municipalities in Essex county and the municipalities of Acton, Ashby, Ayer, Bedford, Billerica, Boxborough, Burlington, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Concord, Dracut, Dunstable, Everett, Groton, Lexington, Lincoln, Littleton, Lowell, Malden, Maynard, Melrose, North Reading, Pepperell, Reading, Shirley, Stoneham, Stow, Tewksbury, Townsend, Tyngsborough, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown, Westford, Weston, Wilmington, Winchester, and Woburn in Middlesex county, and the jurisdiction known as Devens established under chapter 498 of the acts of 1993; a southeastern division consisting of the municipalities in Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, and Nantucket counties, and the municipalities of Carver, Duxbury, Halifax, Hanson, Hanover, Hingham, Hull, Kingston, Lakeville, Marion, Marshfield, Mattapoisett, Middleborough, Norwell, Pembroke, Plymouth, Plympton, Rochester, Rockland, Scituate, and Wareham in Plymouth County; a metro south division consisting of the municipalities in Norfolk County except Brookline, and the municipalities of Abington, Bridgewater, Brockton, East Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, and Whitman in Plymouth County; and an eastern division consisting of all municipalities in Suffolk County, and the municipalities of Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge, Medford, Newton and Somerville in Middlesex County, and the municipality of Brookline in Norfolk County.

SECTION 2: Section 4 of Chapter 185C of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking the second, third, fourth and fifth paragraphs and inserting in the place thereof the following paragraphs: --

The eastern division of the housing court department shall hold at least one sitting per week in Suffolk county and at least one sitting per week in Middlesex county. The court, with the consent of the chief justice of the trial court, shall also sit in such other courthouse facilities as the chief justice of the housing court department may deem to be expedient or convenient.

The central division of the housing court department shall hold at least one sitting per week in the City of Worcester, at least one sitting per week in Middlesex County, at least one sitting per week in northern Worcester county, and at least one sitting per week in Southern Worcester county. The court, with the consent of the chief justice of the trial court, shall also sit in such other courthouse facilities as the chief justice of the housing court department may deem to be expedient and convenient.

The northeastern division of the housing court department shall hold at least two sittings per week in Essex County and at least two sittings per week in Middlesex county. The court, with the consent of the chief justice of the trial court, shall also sit in such other courthouse facilities as the chief justice of the housing court department may deem to be expedient or convenient.

The southeastern division of the housing court department shall hold at least three sittings per week in Bristol county, at least one sitting per week in Plymouth county, and at least one sitting per week in Barnstable county. The court, with the consent of the chief justice of the trial court, shall also sit in such other courthouse facilities as the chief justice of the housing court department may deem to be expedient or convenient.

The metro south division of the housing court department  shall hold at least one sitting per week in Norfolk county and at least one sitting per week in Plymouth county. The court with the consent of the chief justice of trial court, shall also sit in such other courthouse facilities as the chief justice of the housing court department may deem to be expedient or convenient.

SECTION 3: Section 8 of chapter 185C of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking the first sentence and inserting in the place thereof the following: -- There shall be two justices appointed for the western division, two justices appointed for the central division, two justices appointed for the northeastern division, two justices appointed for the metro south division, two justices appointed for the southeastern division, two justices appointed for the eastern division, and three circuit justices who shall sit in any of the divisions as determined by the chief justice of the housing court department.

SECTION 4: Section 1 of Chapter 211B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking in line seven “378” and replacing it with “383.”

SECTION 5: Section 2 of Chapter 211B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking line two “10“ and replacing it with “15.”

SECTION 6: These provisions of this act shall take effect on January 1, 2019.