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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 118 FILED ON: 1/9/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 668
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Michelle L. Ciccolo 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 authorizing the town of Lexington to allow remote participation at town meetings.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Michelle L. Ciccolo15th Middlesex1/9/2023Cindy F. FriedmanFourth Middlesex1/9/2023Michael J. BarrettThird Middlesex1/27/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 118 FILED ON: 1/9/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 668
By Representative Ciccolo of Lexington and Senator Friedman, a joint petition (accompanied by
bill, House, No. 668) of Michelle L. Ciccolo, Cindy F. Friedman and Michael J. Barrett (by vote
of the town) that the town of Lexington be authorized to allow remote participation at town
meetings. Election Laws. [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 authorizing the town of Lexington to allow remote participation at town meetings.
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 any general or special law to the contrary, the Town of
2Lexington may, by bylaw, permit a representative town meeting to be held through remote
3participation or a hybrid of in-person and remote participation, including, but not limited to, by
4means of a video of telephone conferencing platform. All actions taken during a completely
5remote or hybrid remote town meeting held pursuant to this act shall have the same effect as if
6the town meeting had been held in person.
7 SECTION 2. In addition to and without limiting the authority of the Lexington select
8board or moderator under this act or any other general or special law, the select board may
9declare that a session of town meeting called to be held either entirely in-person or through a
10hybrid of remote and in-person participation shall be held entirely in a remote participation in the
11event that, due to an emergency, no suitable town facility is available in the town of Lexington in
12accordance with the provisions of Section 10A of Chapter 39 of the General Laws. The 2 of 2
13procedures of said Section 10A of Chapter 39 shall apply to the change to an entirely remote
14meeting.