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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 800 FILED ON: 1/17/2023 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1363 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | David K. Muradian, Jr. |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act relative to the display of the flag of the United States by condominium unit owners. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:David K. Muradian, Jr.9th Worcester1/17/2023 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 800 FILED ON: 1/17/2023 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1363 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Muradian of Grafton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1363) of |
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| 19 | 19 | | David K. Muradian, Jr., relative to the display of the flag of the United States by certain |
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| 20 | 20 | | condominium owners. Housing. |
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| 21 | 21 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 22 | 22 | | SEE HOUSE, NO. 1435 OF 2021-2022.] |
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| 23 | 23 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
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| 25 | 25 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2023-2024) |
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| 27 | 27 | | _______________ |
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| 28 | 28 | | An Act relative to the display of the flag of the United States by condominium unit owners. |
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| 29 | 29 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 30 | 30 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 31 | 31 | | 1 Chapter 183A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:- |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2 Section 24. (a) For the purposes of this section, the term `flag of the United States' has the |
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| 33 | 33 | | 3meaning given the term `flag, standard, colors, or ensign' under section 3 of title 4 of the United |
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| 34 | 34 | | 4States Code. |
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| 35 | 35 | | 5 (b) No corporation, trust or unincorporated association provided for in the master deed |
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| 36 | 36 | | 6for the management and regulation of a condominium shall prohibit a unit owner from: (i) flying |
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| 37 | 37 | | 7or displaying the flag of the United States on a flagpole, base or stand affixed to the unit in a |
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| 38 | 38 | | 8limited common area where the unit owner has a right of exclusive possession or use; or from (ii) |
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| 39 | 39 | | 9displaying an official flag of the United States Armed Forces or a Prisoner of War/Missing in 2 of 2 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 10Action flag in a window of the unit; provided, that any such flag shall be no larger than 4.5 feet |
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| 41 | 41 | | 11by 6 feet in size; provided, further, that the display or use is not inconsistent with any provision |
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| 42 | 42 | | 12of chapter 1 of title 4 of the United States Code, or any rule or custom pertaining to the proper |
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| 43 | 43 | | 13display or use of the flag of the United States; and provided, further, that such flag does not |
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| 44 | 44 | | 14obstruct the sightlines of other unit owners and is not erected within or upon an easement |
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| 45 | 45 | | 15restricting or prohibiting such erection and display of the flag. |
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| 46 | 46 | | 16 (c) No corporation, trust or unincorporated association provided for in the master deed for |
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| 47 | 47 | | 17the management and regulation of a condominium shall enter into an agreement with a unit |
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| 48 | 48 | | 18owner that would restrict or impair their right to display the flag of the United States or of the |
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| 49 | 49 | | 19United States Armed Forces, or Prisoner of War/Missing in Action pursuant to this section. |
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