H3971
An Act directing a study on the feasibility of placing registries of deeds for county governments that have not been abolished under the oversight of the secretary of the Commonwealth
Take action
Record your position on this measure.
Sign in to record your position, submit testimony, or contact your legislator.
Sign in to take action- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill directs the Massachusetts legislature to conduct a study on the feasibility of placing the registries of deeds for county governments that haven't been abolished under the oversight of the Secretary of the Commonwealth. The study will assess whether this change would be effective and beneficial. The goal is to examine the current system and determine if increased state oversight could improve efficiency and transparency in managing property records.
Key provisions
- Directs a special legislative commission to study the feasibility of oversight.
- The commission must include members of the General Court.
- The study will focus on registries of deeds in counties that have not been abolished.
- The study will assess the efficacy of placing these registries under the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
- The study will examine potential benefits and challenges of the proposed change.
- The study will be conducted to determine if increased state oversight is appropriate.
- The study will be conducted in conjunction with H.5184
Who is affected
- County governments
- Registries of deeds in those counties
- The Secretary of the Commonwealth
- Property owners
- The General Court
Notable changes
- Proposes shifting oversight of county registries of deeds to the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
- Currently, these registries operate independently.
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Dennis C. Gallagher
Cosponsor
Dennis C. Gallagher
Arguments in favor
Reasons to support this legislation.
No arguments in favor have been submitted.
Submit yoursArguments opposed
Reasons to oppose this legislation.
No arguments opposed have been submitted.
Submit yoursRead the latest version inline or switch to a previous version.
Bill H.3971 194th (Current)
An Act directing a study on the feasibility of placing registries of deeds for county governments that have not been abolished under the oversight of the secretary of the Commonwealth
By Representative Gallagher of Bridgewater, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3971) of Dennis C. Gallagher for an investigation by a special legislative commission (including members of the General Court) to study the feasibility and efficacy of placing the registries of deeds for county governments under the oversight of the State Secretary. State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.
View Text Print Preview Download PDF
Bill Information
Bill Information
Presenter: Dennis C. Gallagher
Tabs
Bill History Petitioners Committee Summary Hearing Attendance
Bill History
Displaying 8 actions for Bill H.3971
| Date | Branch | Action |
| 3/31/2025 | House | Referred to the committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight |
| 4/3/2025 | Senate | Senate concurred |
| 10/17/2025 | Joint | Hearing scheduled for 10/29/2025 from 10:30 AM-01:00 PM in A-2 |
| 10/28/2025 | Joint | Hearing scheduled for 10/29/2025 from 10:30 AM-11:45 PM in A-2 |
| 10/28/2025 | Joint | Hearing scheduled for 10/29/2025 from 10:30 AM-11:45 AM in A-2 |
| 10/29/2025 | Joint | Hearing rescheduled to 10/29/2025 from 10:30 AM-01:45 PM in A-2 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time |
| 10/29/2025 | Joint | Hearing rescheduled to 10/29/2025 from 10:30 AM-01:10 PM in A-2 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time |
| 3/9/2026 | House | Accompanied a study order, see H5184 |
Similar Bills
H.1335 194th (Current)
An Act relative to unclaimed property
H.3316 194th (Current)
An Act to promote budget transparency and the public’s right to know
H.847 194th (Current)
An Act relative to election laws
S.510 194th (Current)
An Act relative to safe and secure elections
S.2102 194th (Current)
An Act relating to public access to historical records
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The General Court provides this information as a public service and while we endeavor to keep the data accurate and current to the best of our ability, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.