SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2700

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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

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SECTION 1. Chapter 147 of the acts of 2004 is hereby amended by striking out section 4 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 4. (a) Notwithstanding sections 31 or 36 of chapter 43 of the General Laws or any general or special law to the contrary, the school committee of the city of Revere shall consist of the mayor and 8 members; 1 member of whom shall be elected by and from the voters of each of the 6 respective wards into which the city is divided and 2 members of whom shall be elected at large.

(b) If a vacancy occurs in the office of a school committee member, whether by death, removal, resignation or otherwise, the candidate from that ward who received the second highest number of votes at the last regular election or the at-large candidate who received the third highest number of votes at the last regular election shall be sworn and take office immediately; provided, however, that such candidate is willing to serve, registered to vote and domiciled in the appropriate ward and otherwise eligible to fill the vacancy.

(c) If there is no candidate meeting the requirements of subsection (b), or such qualified candidate declines to be sworn to the position, the city council and the remaining members of the school committee, shall within 14 days following the date of the vacancy, meet in joint convention and fill the vacancy by a majority vote of the city council and remaining members of the school committee. The person selected to fill the vacancy under this section shall be sworn and immediately take up the duties of the office. A vacancy occurring during the last 6 months of the term shall not be filled in the manner set forth herein.

(d) A person selected to fill a vacancy under subsections (b) and (c) shall be sworn and take office immediately, serving until the election results are certified and the elected successor is qualified, at which time their successor shall be sworn and immediately take up the duties of the office in addition to the full term to which they were elected. If the position remains vacant, the candidate elected to the position at the next regular election shall be sworn and begin serving on the day following the date on which the election results are certified and the person elected to the vacancy is qualified, in addition to the full term to which they were elected.

SECTION 2. Section 1 of chapter 120 of the acts of 2022 is hereby amended by striking out the words “school committee” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “office of school committee member-at-large".

SECTION 3. Section 2 of said chapter 120 is hereby amended by inserting after the word “councillor” the following words:- “ or the office of ward school committee member”.

SECTION 4. Said section 2 of said chapter 120 is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “preceding” the following words:- “; provided, however, that a ward school committee member who removes from the ward from which such school committee member was elected during the last 6 months of their elected term, and who remains a resident of the city, may serve out the remainder of their term.”

SECTION 5. This act shall take effect upon its passage.