SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2081        FILED ON: 2/19/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1356

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Rebecca L. Rausch

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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 further addressing challenges to municipal governance caused by the COVID-19 emergency.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2081        FILED ON: 2/19/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1356

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

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

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An Act further addressing challenges to municipal governance caused by the COVID-19 emergency.

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. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law, charter provision, ordinance or by-law to the contrary, in order to address disruptions caused by the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, during the governor’s March 10, 2020 declaration of a state of emergency, the moderator in a town having an open town meeting form of government may request that the select board or board of selectmen of the town call for a town meeting to be held through remote participation, including, but not limited to, by means of a video or telephone conferencing platform. Such a request by the moderator to the select board or board of selectmen shall be in writing and shall include, but shall not be limited to: (i) the moderator’s request to hold town meeting through remote participation in accordance with this section; (ii) the video or telephone conferencing platform the moderator intends to use to hold the town meeting; (iii) confirmation that the moderator has consulted with the local disability commission or coordinator for federal Americans with Disabilities Act compliance; and (iv) a certification by the moderator that: (A) the moderator has tested the video or telephone conferencing platform; and (B) the platform satisfactorily enables the town meeting to be conducted in substantially the same manner as if the meeting occurred in person at a physical location and in accordance with the operational and functional requirements set forth in this section.

(b) A video or telephone conference platform used by a town meeting for remote participation under this section shall, at minimum, provide for the ability for: (i) the moderator, persons registered to vote in the town, town officials and any other interested members of the public to identify and hear the moderator and each registered voter of the town who attends and participates in the remotely-held town meeting, as well as any other individuals who participate in the remotely-held town meeting; (ii) the ability to determine whether a quorum is present; (iii) a registered voter, town official or other individual to request recognition by the moderator without prior authorization; provided, however, that to the extent technologically feasible, the request is visible or audible to the public in real time and upon review of the recording of the town meeting proceedings, preserved according to paragraph (i); (iv) the moderator to determine when a registered voter wishes to be recognized to speak, make a motion, raise a point of order or object to a request for unanimous consent; (v) the moderator to recognize a registered voter, town official or other individual to speak and to enable that person to speak; (vi) the ability to conduct a roll call vote; (vii) any interested members of the public to access the meeting remotely for purposes of witnessing the deliberations and actions taken at the town meeting; and (viii) the town meeting to be recorded. Registered voters residing in the town wishing to participate in a remote town meeting conducted pursuant to this section shall submit a request to participate to the town clerk not less than 72 hours in advance of the town meeting. Upon receipt of the request and verification of the requester’s voter registration status, the clerk shall provide to the requester instructions for participating in the remote town meeting.

(c) Not later than 10 business days following receipt of a written request by the moderator for remote participation at a town meeting pursuant to paragraph (a), the select board or board of selectmen shall vote to determine if the town meeting shall be held remotely by means of the video or telephone conferencing platform requested by the moderator.

(d) If the select board or board of selectmen votes to approve the request of the moderator for remote participation at a town meeting and the select board or board of selectmen has already issued a warrant pursuant to section 10 of chapter 39 of the General Laws, the select board or board of selectmen shall, at the same meeting of the board and in consultation with the moderator, approve and issue a notice that expressly states: (i) that the town meeting shall be held remotely by means of the video or telephone conferencing platform requested by the moderator; (ii) the date and time of the meeting; and (iii) any information necessary for the moderator, registered voters, town officials and interested members of the public to access and witness the deliberations and actions taken at the town meeting remotely.

The notice issued by the select board or board of selectmen shall be: (i) accompanied by the written request of the moderator submitted to the select board or board of selectmen under paragraph (a); (ii) filed and posted in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (b) of section 10A of chapter 39 of the General Laws; (iii) distributed to each registered voter of the town; and (iv) publicly posted not less than 10 days before the scheduled date of the remote town meeting. The notice may include a date, time and place for the town meeting to be resumed if the town meeting does not vote to continue the town meeting remotely pursuant to paragraph (g).

(e) If the select board or board of selectmen votes to approve the request of the moderator for remote participation at a town meeting and the select board or board of selectmen has not yet issued a warrant for a town meeting, the select board or board of selectmen shall approve and issue a warrant pursuant to section 10 of said chapter 39 for the town meeting that expressly states: (i) that the town meeting shall be held remotely by means of the video or telephone conferencing platform requested by the moderator; (ii) the date and time of the meeting; and (iii) any information necessary for the moderator, registered voters, town officials and interested members of the public to access and witness the deliberations and actions taken at the town meeting remotely.

The warrant issued by the select board or board of selectmen shall be: (i) accompanied by the written request of the moderator submitted to the select board or board of selectmen under paragraph (a); and (ii) filed in accordance with said section 10 of said chapter 39, all other applicable laws and any relevant provisions of the town charter or by-laws. The warrant may include a date, time and place for the town meeting to be resumed if the town meeting does not vote to continue the town meeting remotely pursuant to paragraph (g).

(f) Not later than 5 business days after a vote of the select board or board of selectmen to approve the request of the moderator to hold a town meeting remotely pursuant to paragraph (d) or (e), the town clerk shall submit certified copies of the vote of the select board or board of selectmen and the written request of the moderator to the attorney general. 

(g) Prior to taking up any business at a town meeting held through remote participation under this section, the registered voters present and voting at the meeting shall vote on whether or not to commence business at the town meeting remotely by means of the chosen video or telephone conferencing platform. If the town meeting votes to continue conducting the town meeting remotely, then the town meeting shall proceed by remote participation to address the articles included in the warrant. If the town meeting does not vote to continue conducting the town meeting remotely, then the town meeting shall be adjourned to the date, time and place specified in the notice or warrant under paragraph (d) or (e). If no date, time and place has been specified in the notice or warrant, the town meeting shall immediately be dissolved without taking any votes on any other matters and the select board or board of selectmen may call the town meeting pursuant to a new warrant that provides for the town meeting to be held in person at a physical location in accordance with said section 10 of said chapter 39, all other applicable laws and provisions of the town charter and by-laws. 

(h) Any vote taken at a town meeting held through remote participation pursuant to this section shall be taken by any means that the moderator determines accurately and securely records the votes of those entitled to vote at the meeting, including but not limited to roll call vote, electronic voting, voting by ballot, voting by phone or any combination thereof. The vote of each registered voter on a roll call vote shall be recorded and kept with the minutes of the town meeting.

(i) A town meeting held remotely pursuant to this section shall be recorded and the recording shall be preserved and made publicly available on the town’s website for not less than 90 days after the conclusion of the remote town meeting.

(i) All actions taken during a remote town meeting held pursuant to this section are hereby ratified, validated and confirmed to the same extent as if the town meeting had been conducted in person and such actions are in accordance with all other applicable laws, charter provisions, ordinances and by-laws.

SECTION 2: Notwithstanding section 57, 57A and 57C of chapter 59 of the General Laws, section 2 of chapter 60A of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, as a result of the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, or the governor’s March 10, 2020 declaration of a state of emergency, the chief executive officer of a city or town, as defined in clause Fifth B of section 7 of chapter 4 of the General Laws, or the prudential committee or commissioners of a district may waive the payment of interest and other penalty in the event of late payment of any excise, tax, betterment assessment or apportionment thereof, water rate or annual sewer use or other charge added to a tax for any payments with a due date on or after March 10, 2020 and made after its respective due date but before ninety days after the expiration of the governor’s March 10, 2020 declaration of a state of emergency. Notwithstanding the forgoing, no municipality or district shall terminate an essential service of a resident, including but not limited to water, trash collection or electricity, for nonpayment of taxes or fees with a due date on or after March 10, 2020, made after its respective due date but before ninety days after the expiration of the governor’s March 10, 2020 declaration of a state of emergency, if the nonpayment resulted from a demonstrated inability to pay due to circumstances related to the outbreak of COVID-19 or the governor’s March 10, 2020 declaration of a state of emergency; provided that the inability to pay shall include a demonstrated financial hardship of a resident, which may include, but shall not be limited to, loss of employment or serious illness or death of someone within the home.

SECTION 3: Notwithstanding any general or special law, charter provision, ordinance or by-law to the contrary, in order to address disruptions caused by the outbreak of the 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, during the governor’s March 10, 2020 declaration of a state of emergency, the notice of a meeting of a local public body required by section 20(c) of chapter 30A may be provided by electronic means.

SECTION 4: Notwithstanding section 9 of chapter 39, sections 26 and 28 of chapter 51 and chapters 53 and 54 of the General Laws or any other general or special law or by-law to the contrary, the select board, board of selectmen, town council or board of registrars of a town with a municipal caucus scheduled between the effective date of this act and June 30, 2022, may vote to eliminate said municipal caucus, if such board concludes that holding the municipal caucus would constitute a threat to the public health and safety due to the 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. In any town that eliminates the municipal caucus, nomination papers shall be used to nominate candidates pursuant to sections 7 and 10 of chapter 53 of the General Laws; provided, however, that such nomination papers shall be signed by not fewer than 10 registered voters of the town; provided, however, that to the extent that the forty-ninth day prior to the date of the election has passed, nomination papers shall be made available immediately, and shall be returned to the office of the board of registrars for certification no later than the date designated by the town clerk, which shall be no earlier than 36 days and no later than 32 days prior to the date of the election; provided further, that candidates shall be notified if their names will be placed on the ballot on the next business day after the deadline for filing, and the time for filing withdrawals and objections shall expire at 5:00 p.m. on the following business day.