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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 5101 FILED ON: 5/14/2024
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4664
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Alice Hanlon Peisch and Carmine Lawrence Gentile
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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 Lincoln.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Alice Hanlon Peisch14th Norfolk5/14/2024Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex5/14/2024Michael J. BarrettThird Middlesex5/14/2024 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 5101 FILED ON: 5/14/2024
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4664
By Representatives Peisch of Wellesley and Gentile of Sudbury, a petition (accompanied by bill,
House, No. 4664) of Alice Hanlon Peisch, Carmine Lawrence Gentile and Michael J. Barrett (by
vote of the town) that the town of Lincoln be authorized to satisfy legal notice requirements by
digital publication. 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 Lincoln.
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. Purpose
2 The purpose of this Act is to allow, but not require the Town of Lincoln and its
3subdivisions to satisfy legal notice requirements entirely by digital publication as voted
4necessary by its Select Board and School Committee in light of the changing landscape of print
5newspaper businesses, particularly at the local level.
6 Section 2. Means of Legal Notice Publication
7 Notwithstanding G.L. c. 4, section 13 (b), wherever the town of Lincoln, Lincoln Public
8Schools and/or their subdivisions, committees, boards, commissions, or offices are required by
9statute, ordinance, by-law or judicial order to publish a legal notice in a newspaper or newspaper
10of general circulation, the person, corporation, agency, authority, municipality, or legal entity
11may satisfy such requirement by one or more of the following means: 2 of 2
12 A. a print newspaper of local or general circulation;
13 B. a newspaper’s website;
14 C. websites reporting local news and opinion which satisfy all criteria for digital
15publication as set forth in G.L., c. 4, section 13(b);
16 D. a statewide website that may be maintained as a repository for such notices; or
17 E. a town-wide website that may be maintained as a repository for such notices;
18 Section 3. Nothing set forth in this Act shall be construed to alter or amend the time
19or timing of publication of legal notices set forth in the General Laws.
20 Section 4. This act shall take effect upon passage, subject to any editorial changes of
21form only that may be suggested by the General Court and any amendments that the Select
22Board determines to be within the scope of the general purpose objectives of this petition.