HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1899        FILED ON: 2/12/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 820

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Michael J. 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 reprecincting.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1899        FILED ON: 2/12/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 820

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 693 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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

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An Act relative to reprecincting.

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 9A of chapter 9 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-

The commission shall deliver to the senate president and speaker of the the house of representatives  within 7 days following the approval of all municipal wards and precincts as required by chapter 54 an electronic geographic information system shapefile or equivalent containing every city and town ward and precinct within the boundaries of the approved congressional, councillor, senatorial, and representative districts and an ASCII compatible file containing a written description of all changes in the municipality, ward, precinct, and county description of each approved congressional, councillor, senatorial, and representative districts.

SECTION 2.  Section 1 of chapter 54 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 1, the words “In the year 2001, and every tenth year thereafter, no later than June fifteenth” and inserting in place thereof the words:- No later than 30 days after the final approval by the Governor of the enacted decennial apportionment of congressional, councillor, senatorial and representative districts.

SECTION 3.  Said section 1 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the fourth paragraph.

SECTION 4.  Section 2 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 13 and 14, the words “on the thirty-first day of December” and inserting in place thereof the words:- 14 days prior to the state primary preceding the next biennial election.

SECTION 5.  Section 2 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the second paragraph.

SECTION 6.  Section 6 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 1 and 2, the words “In the year 2001, and every tenth year thereafter, no later than June fifteenth” and inserting in place thereof the words:- No later than 30 days after the final approval by the governor of the enacted decennial apportionment of congressional, councillor, senatorial and representative districts.

SECTION 7.  Said section 6 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out the sixth paragraph.

SECTION 8.  Section 9 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “precincts;”, in line 2, the following:- provided that such precinct is in a town the territory of which in such formation is not included in 2 or more congressional, representative, senatorial or councillor districts.

SECTION 9.  Section 9A of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the second paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-

Any precinct established or remaining unchanged following the formation of congressional, councillor, senatorial and representative districts based on the decennial federal census shall remain unchanged, and, if such precinct is in a town the territory of which in such formation is included in 2 or more congressional, representative or senatorial districts, shall remain unchanged for the purpose of electing such officers until the next division following the formation of congressional, councillor, senatorial and representative districts after the next decennial federal census.