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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4478 FILED ON: 7/20/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4027
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Sean Garballey and Cindy F. Friedman
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act allowing print free digital legal notices for the town of Arlington.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Sean Garballey23rd Middlesex7/20/2023Cindy F. FriedmanFourth Middlesex7/20/2023David M. Rogers24th Middlesex7/20/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4478 FILED ON: 7/20/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4027
By Representative Garballey of Arlington and Senator Friedman, a joint petition (accompanied
by bill, House, No. 4027) of Sean Garballey, Cindy F. Friedman and David M. Rogers (by vote
of the town) for legislation to allow print free digital legal notices for the town of Arlington.
Municipalities and Regional Government. [Local Approval Received.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act allowing print free digital legal notices for the town of Arlington.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Notwithstanding subsection (b) of section 13 of chapter 4 of the General
2Laws, wherever the town of Arlington, Arlington public schools and their subdivisions,
3committees, boards, commissions or officers are required by statute, ordinance, by-law or
4judicial order to publish a legal notice in a newspaper or newspaper of general circulation, the
5person, corporation, agency, authority, municipality or other legal entity may satisfy such
6requirement by one or more of the following means, as authorized by local vote in section 2 of
7this act:
8 (a) a newspaper of local or general circulation's print publication;
9 (b) a newspaper's website;
10 (c) websites reporting local news and opinion that satisfy all criteria for digital
11publication, set forth in said subsection (b) of said section 13 of said chapter 4; 2 of 2
12 (d) a statewide website that may be maintained as a repository for such notices; or
13 (e) a town wide website that may be maintained as a repository for such notices.
14 SECTION 2. (a) For all legal notices issued by the town of Arlington boards, committees,
15commissions and officials including, but not limited to: the Arlington zoning board of appeals,
16the Arlington redevelopment board, the conservation commission, the Arlington historic district
17commissions, the town manager, town treasurer, town clerk, police chief, fire chief and building
18commissioner, the town of Arlington select board shall, by majority vote, determine at least 2 of
19the means of legal notice publication set forth in section 1 of this act to satisfy publication
20requirements.
21 (b) For all legal notices issued by Arlington public school boards, committees,
22commissions and officials, the school committee shall, by majority vote, determine at least 2 of
23the means of legal notice publication set forth in section 1 of this act.
24 (c) The town of Arlington select board and school committee may revisit their means of
25publication votes at their discretion and elect different means of publication from the options
26afforded under section 1 of this act by majority vote.
27 SECTION 3. Nothing set forth in this act shall be construed to alter or amend the time or
28timing of publication of legal notices set forth in the General Laws.
29 SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon its passage.