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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2231 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2150
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Barry R. Finegold
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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 providing for software licensing fairness.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Barry R. FinegoldSecond Essex and Middlesex 1 of 2
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2231 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2150
By Mr. Finegold, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2150) of Barry R. Finegold for
legislation relative to fair software licensing. State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 2007 OF 2023-2024.]
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 providing for software licensing fairness.
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. Chapter 7D of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the
2following new section:-
3 Section 12. Fair software licensing
4 (a) A contract for the licensing of software applications, which are intended to be
5installed by a governmental body and designed to run on generally available desktop or server
6hardware, shall not limit such governmental body’s ability to install or run the software on the
7hardware of the governmental body’s choosing.
8 (b) The secretary of technology services and security may promgulate regulations or
9otherwise issue administrative directives to carry out the purposes of this section. 2 of 2
10 SECTION 2. Section 1 shall apply to any contract or addendum for the licensing of
11software applications on or after the effective date of this act.