HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 921 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3914
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Brian W. Murray
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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 publication of notice by municipalities.
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PETITION OF:
Name: | District/Address: | Date Added: |
Brian W. Murray | 10th Worcester | 1/17/2023 |
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 921 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3914
By Representative Murray of Milford, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3914) of Brian W. Murray that the Secretary of the Commonwealth create and maintain a municipal public legal notice website to be available for viewing and searching by the general public. State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. |
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act relative to publication of notice by municipalities.
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 13 of chapter 4 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:-
(e) The secretary of the commonwealth shall create and maintain a public legal notice website to be available for viewing and searching by the general public, free of charge; and accept legal notice posting for any publication from a city or town required to publish such notice pursuant to chapter 60.
SECTION 2. Section 1 of chapter 60 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the definition “Publication” and inserting in place thereof the following definition:-
“Publication”, notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, as applied to any notice, advertisement or other instrument, the publication of which is required by law, shall mean publishing the notice, advertisement or other instrument on 1 of the following:
(i) the website of a city, town or county where the land or other property to which the notice or other instrument relates is situated;
(ii) a newspaper’s website;
(iii) on a statewide website that may be maintained as a repository for such notices pursuant to subsection (e) of section 13 of chapter 4; or
(iv) a public legal notice website maintained by the secretary of the commonwealth, which the secretary shall create and maintain as a public legal notice website to be available to accept legal notice posting for any publication from a city or town required to publish such notice pursuant to chapter 60 for viewing and searching by the general public, free of charge.
The publication shall be made at least 14 days prior to the date stated for the occurrence of the event to which the publication relates.
SECTION 3. Section 53 of said chapter 60, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 6, the words “may be published,” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- by publication.