Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H4664 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 5101 FILED ON: 5/14/2024
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4664
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Alice Hanlon Peisch and Carmine Lawrence Gentile
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act allowing "print-free" digital legal notices for the town of Lincoln.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Alice Hanlon Peisch14th Norfolk5/14/2024Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex5/14/2024Michael J. BarrettThird Middlesex5/14/2024 1 of 2
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 5101 FILED ON: 5/14/2024
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4664
18	18	By Representatives Peisch of Wellesley and Gentile of Sudbury, a petition (accompanied by bill,
19	19	House, No. 4664) of Alice Hanlon Peisch, Carmine Lawrence Gentile and Michael J. Barrett (by
20	20	vote of the town) that the town of Lincoln be authorized to satisfy legal notice requirements by
21	21	digital publication. Municipalities and Regional Government. [Local Approval Received.]
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
25	25	(2023-2024)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act allowing "print-free" digital legal notices for the town of Lincoln.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 Section 1. Purpose
31	31	2 The purpose of this Act is to allow, but not require the Town of Lincoln and its
32	32	3subdivisions to satisfy legal notice requirements entirely by digital publication as voted
33	33	4necessary by its Select Board and School Committee in light of the changing landscape of print
34	34	5newspaper businesses, particularly at the local level.
35	35	6 Section 2. Means of Legal Notice Publication
36	36	7 Notwithstanding G.L. c. 4, section 13 (b), wherever the town of Lincoln, Lincoln Public
37	37	8Schools and/or their subdivisions, committees, boards, commissions, or offices are required by
38	38	9statute, ordinance, by-law or judicial order to publish a legal notice in a newspaper or newspaper
39	39	10of general circulation, the person, corporation, agency, authority, municipality, or legal entity
40	40	11may satisfy such requirement by one or more of the following means: 2 of 2
41	41	12 A. a print newspaper of local or general circulation;
42	42	13 B. a newspaper’s website;
43	43	14 C. websites reporting local news and opinion which satisfy all criteria for digital
44	44	15publication as set forth in G.L., c. 4, section 13(b);
45	45	16 D. a statewide website that may be maintained as a repository for such notices; or
46	46	17 E. a town-wide website that may be maintained as a repository for such notices;
47	47	18 Section 3. Nothing set forth in this Act shall be construed to alter or amend the time
48	48	19or timing of publication of legal notices set forth in the General Laws.
49	49	20 Section 4. This act shall take effect upon passage, subject to any editorial changes of
50	50	21form only that may be suggested by the General Court and any amendments that the Select
51	51	22Board determines to be within the scope of the general purpose objectives of this petition.