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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2283 FILED ON: 1/17/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1456 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Paul W. Mark |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act relative to voting on regional planning board proposed regional agreements. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Paul W. MarkBerkshire, Hampden, Franklin and |
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| 16 | 16 | | Hampshire 1 of 2 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2283 FILED ON: 1/17/2025 |
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| 18 | 18 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1456 |
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| 19 | 19 | | By Mr. Mark, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1456) of Paul W. Mark for legislation |
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| 20 | 20 | | relative to voting on proposed regional school districts. Municipalities and Regional |
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| 21 | 21 | | Government. |
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| 22 | 22 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 23 | 23 | | _______________ |
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| 24 | 24 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 26 | 26 | | _______________ |
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| 27 | 27 | | An Act relative to voting on regional planning board proposed regional agreements. |
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| 28 | 28 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 29 | 29 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 30 | 30 | | 1 SECTION 1. Section 15 of chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 |
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| 31 | 31 | | 2Official Edition, is hereby by amended by striking section 15 in its entirety and replacing it with |
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| 32 | 32 | | 3the following new section 15:- |
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| 33 | 33 | | 4 Section 15. The selectmen or council of each of the several towns shall, upon receipt of |
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| 34 | 34 | | 5the recommendation that a regional school district should be formed and of a proposed |
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| 35 | 35 | | 6agreement therefor submitted in accordance with the provisions of sections fourteen to fourteen |
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| 36 | 36 | | 7B, inclusive, or otherwise in the form and with the approval required by said sections, cause to be |
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| 37 | 37 | | 8presented the question of accepting the provisions of sections sixteen to sixteen I, inclusive, and |
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| 38 | 38 | | 9the proposed agreement or agreements. Said question shall be determined, in a town having an |
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| 39 | 39 | | 10open town meeting, by vote with printed ballots at an annual or special town meeting to be held |
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| 40 | 40 | | 11in either case within thirty days after receipt of such recommendation by the selectmen or at an |
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| 41 | 41 | | 12annual or special town election to be held in either case not less than thirty-five nor more than 2 of 2 |
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| 42 | 42 | | 13fifty days after receipt of such recommendation. and, in a town having a representative town |
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| 43 | 43 | | 14meeting or council, at an annual or special town election to be held in either case not less than |
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| 44 | 44 | | 15thirty-five nor more than fifty days after receipt of such recommendation. The article in the |
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| 45 | 45 | | 16warrant for such annual or special town meeting or election and the question on the printed |
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| 46 | 46 | | 17ballots to be used at such meeting or election shall be in substantially the following form: |
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| 47 | 47 | | 18 Shall the town accept the provisions of sections sixteen to sixteen I, inclusive, of chapter |
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| 48 | 48 | | 19seventy-one of the General Laws providing for the establishment of a regional school district, |
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| 49 | 49 | | 20together with the towns of , and , etc., and for construction, maintenance and operation of a |
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| 50 | 50 | | 21regional school by said district in accordance with the provisions of a proposed agreement filed |
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| 51 | 51 | | 22with the selectmen? |
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| 52 | 52 | | 23 If a majority of the voters present and voting on said question in each of the several |
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| 53 | 53 | | 24towns shall vote in the affirmative, said sections sixteen to sixteen I, inclusive, shall become |
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| 54 | 54 | | 25effective, and the proposed regional school district shall be deemed to be established forthwith in |
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| 55 | 55 | | 26accordance with the terms of the agreement so adopted notwithstanding any defect or omission |
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| 56 | 56 | | 27in the creation or organization of any regional school district planning committee or regional |
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| 57 | 57 | | 28school district planning board. |
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