HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 118        FILED ON: 1/9/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 668

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Michelle L. Ciccolo and Cindy F. Friedman

_________________

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 authorizing the town of Lexington to allow remote participation at town meetings.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Michelle L. Ciccolo

15th Middlesex

1/9/2023

Cindy F. Friedman

Fourth Middlesex

1/9/2023

Michael J. Barrett

Third Middlesex

1/27/2023


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 118        FILED ON: 1/9/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 668

By Representative Ciccolo of Lexington and Senator Friedman, a joint petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 668) of Michelle L. Ciccolo, Cindy F. Friedman and Michael J. Barrett (by vote of the town) that the town of Lexington be authorized to allow remote participation at town meetings.  Election Laws.  [Local Approval Received.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

_______________

 

An Act authorizing the town of Lexington to allow remote participation at town meetings.

 

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. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the Town of Lexington may, by bylaw, permit a representative town meeting to be held through remote participation or a hybrid of in-person and remote participation, including, but not limited to, by means of a video of telephone conferencing platform. All actions taken during a completely remote or hybrid remote town meeting held pursuant to this act shall have the same effect as if the town meeting had been held in person.

SECTION 2. In addition to and without limiting the authority of the Lexington select board or moderator under this act or any other general or special law, the select board may declare that a session of town meeting called to be held either entirely in-person or through a hybrid of remote and in-person participation shall be held entirely in a remote participation in the event that, due to an emergency, no suitable town facility is available in the town of Lexington in accordance with the provisions of Section 10A of Chapter 39 of the General Laws. The procedures of said Section 10A of Chapter 39 shall apply to the change to an entirely remote meeting.