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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 114 FILED ON: 1/7/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 981 |
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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 | | Lydia Edwards |
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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 establishing housing training program for elected members of municipal boards. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Lydia EdwardsThird Suffolk 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 114 FILED ON: 1/7/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 981 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Ms. Edwards, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 981) of Lydia Edwards for |
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| 19 | 19 | | legislation to establish housing training program for elected members of municipal boards. |
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| 20 | 20 | | Housing. |
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| 21 | 21 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 22 | 22 | | _______________ |
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| 23 | 23 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | An Act establishing housing training program for elected members of municipal boards. |
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| 27 | 27 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 28 | 28 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 29 | 29 | | 1 Chapter 41 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2following section:- |
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| 31 | 31 | | 3 Section 134. (a) The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities shall |
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| 32 | 32 | | 4establish and implement a comprehensive training program for all elected or appointed members |
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| 33 | 33 | | 5of municipal boards or commissions that have within their purview land usage. Such training |
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| 34 | 34 | | 6program shall be developed in consultation with the Massachusetts Citizen Planner Training |
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| 35 | 35 | | 7Collaborative, the Massachusetts Association of Planning Directors, Massachusetts Association |
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| 36 | 36 | | 8of Regional Planning Agencies, the American Planning Association, Massachusetts Chapter, the |
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| 37 | 37 | | 9Massachusetts Housing Partnership, MassHousing, and the office of the attorney general. |
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| 38 | 38 | | 10Instruction and training shall include, but need not be limited to: fair housing law and municipal |
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| 39 | 39 | | 11zoning authority and laws Additional training elements may be added at the discretion of the |
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| 40 | 40 | | 12Secretary. 2 of 2 |
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| 41 | 41 | | 13 (b) Members of said boards and commissions shall complete the comprehensive training |
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| 42 | 42 | | 14program within 6 months of the beginning of the member’s term and within 4 years of the date of |
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| 43 | 43 | | 15the member’s last training. A municipality may have annual or bi annual trainings. Membership |
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| 44 | 44 | | 16on a board or commission shall terminate and a vacancy shall exist if a member fails to complete |
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| 45 | 45 | | 17the comprehensive training program within the period of time established by this section. A |
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| 46 | 46 | | 18vacancy on a board that exists as a result of this section shall be filled for the remainder of the |
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| 47 | 47 | | 19term in the same manner in which the prior appointment or election took place. |
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