HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1039        FILED ON: 1/14/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Steven Owens and John J. Lawn, Jr.

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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 authorizing the city of Watertown to publish digital legal notices.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1039        FILED ON: 1/14/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act authorizing the city of Watertown to publish digital legal notices.

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 section 13(b) of chapter 4 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, whenever any officer, department, board, committee, or commission of the city of Watertown is to publish a legal notice in a newspaper or newspaper of general circulation, as the case may be, such requirement may be satisfied by one or more of the following means as authorized in accordance with section 2 hereof:

(a) a newspaper or newspaper of general circulation's print publication;

(b) a newspaper or newspaper of general circulation's website;

(c) websites reporting local news and opinion which satisfy all criteria for digital publication set forth in said section 13(b);

(d) a website that may be maintained as a statewide repository for such notices; or

(e) a city of Watertown website that may be maintained as a repository for such notices.

Section 2. (a) For all legal notices to be issued by a city of Watertown officer, department, board, committee, or commission, other than by the School Committee or its officers and employees, the city manager shall determine at least 2 of the means of legal notice publication set forth in section 2 hereof to be utilized to satisfy publication requirements.

(b) For all legal notices to be issued by the school committee or its officers or employees, said school committee by majority vote shall determine at least 2 of the means of legal notice publication set forth in section 2 hereof to be utilized to satisfy publication requirements.

(c) The city manager and the school committee may revisit their determinations of the means of publication at their discretion.

Section 3: This act shall take effect upon its passage.