HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4898        FILED ON: 3/3/2022

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4742

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Mathew J. Muratore and Susan L. Moran

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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 hybrid participation in representative town meeting.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Mathew J. Muratore

1st Plymouth

3/3/2022

Susan L. Moran

Plymouth and Barnstable

3/3/2022

Kathleen R. LaNatra

12th Plymouth

3/7/2022

Steven G. Xiarhos

5th Barnstable

3/8/2022


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4898        FILED ON: 3/3/2022

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4742

By Representative Muratore of Plymouth and Senator Moran, a joint petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Mathew J. Muratore, Susan L. Moran and others relative to hybrid participation in representative town meetings.  Election Laws.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

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

_______________

 

An Act relative to hybrid participation in representative town meeting.

 

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to stop and limit the spread of Covid-19, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public safety.
 

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.  Subsection (a) of section 26 of chapter 22 of the acts of 2022 is hereby amended by inserting, after the first sentence therein, the following new sentence:-  For purposes of this section, the use of the term “remote participation” shall include remote representative town meetings that allow, but do not require, in-person participation, with such remote representative town meetings to be referred to as hybrid remote town meetings; any request submitted by a town moderator for a hybrid town meeting must specifically so state.

SECTION 2.  All actions taken during a hybrid remote town meeting held pursuant to section 26 of said chapter 22 and this act, or consistent with said section 26 and this act prior to its passage, are hereby ratified, validated and confirmed to the same extent as if the town meeting had been conducted in person or through fully remote participation, and such actions are in accordance with all other applicable general and special laws, charter provisions, and by-laws.

SECTION 3.  This act shall take effect upon its passage.