HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4249        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Marjorie C. Decker

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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 financial transparency.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4249        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

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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 relative to financial transparency.

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 1 of chapter 268B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended in the definition of “Amount”, by striking out “greater than $1,000 but not more than $5,000; greater than $5,000 but not more than $10,000; greater than $10,000 but not more than $20,000; greater than $20,000 but not more than $40,000; greater than $40,000 but not more than $60,000; greater than $60,000 but not more than $100,000; greater than $100,000” and inserting in place thereof the following words “rounded to the nearest $10,000, or to the nearest $1,000 if less than $10,000”

Section 2. Section 3 of said chapter 268B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by replacing subsection (d) with the following words:- make statements and reports filed with the commission available for public inspection via download online for free or for in person public inspection and copying during regular office hours upon the written request of any individual, at a charge not to exceed the actual administrative and material costs required in reproducing said statements and reports; provided, however, that the commission may make statements and reports filed with the commission available by electronic mail in a read-only format upon the written request of any individual that delivers the request by electronic mail; provided, however, that the commission shall be authorized, in its discretion, to exempt from public disclosure those portions of a statement of financial interest filed pursuant to section five which contain the home address of the filer; and provided, further, that the commission shall not notify the person whose statement has been examined.

Section 3. Subsection (g) of section 5 of said chapter 268B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the words “fair market value of greater than one thousand dollars”, and inserting in place thereof the following words:- aggregate fair market value, with the value of an investment considered the sum of individual units owned, of greater than one thousand dollars.