HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2360        FILED ON: 2/17/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2197

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Alice Hanlon Peisch

_________________

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 access to local journalism.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Alice Hanlon Peisch

14th Norfolk

2/16/2021


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2360        FILED ON: 2/17/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2197

By Ms. Peisch of Wellesley, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2197) of Alice Hanlon Peisch relative to legal notices required to be published in newspapers by cities and towns.  Municipalities and Regional Government.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

_______________

 

An Act relative to access to local journalism.

 

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

Section 13 of chapter 4 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting at the end thereof the following paragraph:-

(e) A municipality required by a statute, ordinance, by-law or judicial order to publish a legal notice in a newspaper or newspaper of general circulation may also publish the legal notice on a community news website. For purposes of this paragraph, “community news website” shall mean a website substantially all of which is dedicated to local news coverage for the relevant municipality and surrounding municipalities that receives an average of not less than 1,500 unique visits per month. This requirement shall not apply to a municipality for which a community news website does not exist.