Budget Amendment ID: FY2027-S4-248-R1

Redraft GOV 248

Candidate safety

Ms. Rausch, Messrs. Oliveira and Payano and Ms. Edwards moved that the proposed new text be amended by adding after section 26 the following 12 sections:-

SECTION 26A. Section 5 of chapter 53 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 4, the word “residences” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “municipalities of residence”.

SECTION 26B. Section 16 of said chapter 53, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “year”, in line 5, the following words:- “; provided, however, that the street address, street number, and other information identifying the personal residence of a candidate that appears on a certificate of nomination or nomination paper shall not be a public record and shall be redacted from any copy of the candidate’s nomination papers made available for public inspection, except upon a written certification by the requestor, in a form prescribed by the state secretary and signed under the penalties of perjury, that the information is sought solely for the purpose of verifying or challenging the candidate’s legal qualifications for nomination or election to the office sought.

SECTION 26C. Section 34 of said chapter 53, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the fifth paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-

Against the name of a candidate for an elective office or for state committee shall be printed the candidate’s municipality of residence. Against the name of a candidate for a ward or town committee shall be printed the ward or precinct where the candidate resides, or both ward and precinct, as applicable.

SECTION 26D. Section 106 of said chapter 53, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “elective,” in line 11, the following words:- office shall be printed the candidate’s precinct or ward of residence, or both. Against the name of a candidate for”.

SECTION 26E. Section 41 of chapter 54 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2024 official edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 6 and 7, the words “he resides, with the name of the street and the number, if any, of his residence” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “the candidate resides”.

SECTION 26F. Said section 41 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in lines 8-11, the third sentence and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “To the name of each candidate for a county office shall be added the name of the city or town where the candidate resides. To the name of each candidate for city or town office shall be added the ward or precinct where the candidate resides, or both ward and precinct, as applicable.”.

SECTION 26G. Said section 41 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in lines 28-29, the words “the name of the street on which they reside, with their street number, if any, and”.

SECTION 26H. Section 41A of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 5, the words “christian names and addresses” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “first names”.

SECTION 26I. Section 42 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 41 and 44, the word “addresses” each time it appears and inserting in place thereof, in each instance, the following words:- “municipalities of residence”.

SECTION 26J. Section 49 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 3, the word “residences” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “municipalities of residence”.

SECTION 26K. Section 50 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 2, the word “residences” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “wards or precincts of residence, or both, as applicable”.

SECTION 26L. Section 51 of said chapter 54, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 3, the word “residences” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “wards or precincts of residence, or both, as applicable”; and

by inserting after section 58 the following new section:-

SECTION 58A. Sections 26A through 26L, inclusive, shall take effect January 1, 2027.