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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3465 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2323
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Alice Hanlon Peisch
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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 relative to local journalism.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Alice Hanlon Peisch14th Norfolk1/17/2025Simon Cataldo14th Middlesex2/27/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3465 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2323
By Representative Peisch of Wellesley, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2323) of
Alice Hanlon Peisch and Simon Cataldo relative to legal notices required to be published in
newspapers by cities and towns. Municipalities and Regional Government.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act relative to local journalism.
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. The definition of “community news website” in subsection (b) of section 13
2of chapter 4 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended
3by adding the following sentence: - a website that has a newsletter subscription which serves at
4least fifteen per of the municipality's households.
5 SECTION 2. Notwithstanding subsection (b) of section 13 of chapter 4 of the General
6Laws, a municipality and its public schools, their subdivisions, committees, boards, commissions
7or offices which are required by statute, ordinance, by-law or judicial order to publish a legal
8notice in a newspaper or newspaper of general circulation, may meet such requirement through 1
9or more of the following means:
10 (i) a print newspaper of local or general circulation;
11 (ii) the website of a print newspaper of local or general circulation; 2 of 2
12 (iii) a community news website that satisfies all criteria for digital publication as
13set forth in subsection (c) (i)-(iii) of said section 13 of said chapter 4;
14 (iv) a statewide website that may be maintained as a repository for such notices.
15 SECTION 3. Nothing set forth in this act shall be construed to alter or amend the
16requirement that a municipality publish legal notices on its municipal website.
17 SECTION 4. Nothing set forth in this act shall be construed to alter or amend the time or
18timing of publication of legal notices set forth in the General Laws.
19 SECTION 5. This act shall take effect upon its passage.