HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 965        FILED ON: 1/14/2025

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

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Michelle L. Ciccolo

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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 town of Lexington to allow remote participation at town meetings.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 965        FILED ON: 1/14/2025

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

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 668 OF 2023-2024.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

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

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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.