H 879
An Act to preserve local decision making during an emergency
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- Passed House
- Passed Senate
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Bill overview
This bill would allow cities and towns in Massachusetts to postpone their regularly scheduled town meetings if a short-term emergency arises. The goal is to ensure local governments can continue to make necessary decisions even during challenging circumstances. This legislation provides a mechanism for local officials to prioritize critical operations and address urgent issues without being hindered by the usual timeline of town meetings. It aims to maintain effective local governance in the face of emergencies.
Key provisions
- Allows cities and towns to postpone town meetings.
- Postponement is permitted due to ‘short-term emergencies’.
- The bill is intended to preserve local decision-making capacity.
- It falls under the jurisdiction of the Election Laws committee.
Who is affected
- Cities
- Towns
- Local government officials
- Massachusetts residents
Notable changes
- Provides a specific authorization for postponing town meetings.
- Does not define the specific types of ‘short-term emergencies’ that would trigger this postponement.
Sponsors
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Primary sponsor
Cosponsor
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Bill H.879 194th (Current)
An Act to preserve local decision making during an emergency
By Representative Vitolo of Brookline, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 879) of Tommy Vitolo for legislation to authorize cities and towns to postpone town meetings due to certain short-term emergencies. Election Laws.
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Bill Information
Bill Information
Presenter: Tommy Vitolo
Tabs
Bill History Petitioners Committee Vote Committee Summary Hearing Attendance
Bill History
Displaying 5 actions for Bill H.879
| Date | Branch | Action |
| 2/27/2025 | House | Referred to the committee on Election Laws |
| 2/27/2025 | Senate | Senate concurred |
| 6/27/2025 | Joint | Hearing scheduled for 07/08/2025 from 01:00 PM-04:00 PM in B-1 |
| House | Reported by committee to Clerk’s Office for processing, will accompany a study order | |
| 3/19/2026 | House | Accompanied a study order, see H5253 (under House Rule 27) |
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