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H4578 • 2025

An Act authorizing Bridgewater town charter amendment for gender neutral language

An Act authorizing Bridgewater town charter amendment for gender neutral language

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Dennis C. Gallagher
Last action
2025-11-26
Official status
Accompanied a new draft, see H4781
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act authorizing Bridgewater town charter amendment for gender neutral language

An Act authorizing Bridgewater town charter amendment for gender neutral language By Representative Gallagher of Bridgewater, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act authorizing Bridgewater town charter amendment for gender neutral language By Representative Gallagher of Bridgewater, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 4578) of Dennis C.
  • Gallagher (with the approval of the town council) relative to gender neutral language in the charter of the city known as the town of Bridgewater.
  • Municipalities and Regional Government.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-11-26 House

    Accompanied a new draft, see H4781

  2. 2025-10-14 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 10/14/2025 from 02:00 PM-02:00 PM in Written Testimony Only

  3. 2025-10-06 Senate

    Senate concurred

  4. 2025-10-02 House

    Referred to the committee on Municipalities and Regional Government

Official Summary Text

An Act authorizing Bridgewater town charter amendment for gender neutral language
By Representative Gallagher of Bridgewater, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 4578) of Dennis C. Gallagher (with the approval of the town council) relative to gender neutral language in the charter of the city known as the town of Bridgewater. Municipalities and Regional Government. [Local Approval Received.]

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.4578

Article II Legislative Branch

Section 2-2. General Powers and Duties

(c) Powers and Duties:

(3) The council president shall be recognized as the official head of the town for all ceremonial purposes and the council president, or his (change to; their) designee, shall represent the town in its relations with other units of government.

Section 2-12. Prohibitions; Term Limits

(a) Prohibitions- No councilor shall, while a member of the town council, hold any other town office or position. Elected charter commission membership shall not be considered to be a town office or position. No former councilor shall hold any compensated appointive town office or town employment until 1 year after the expiration of his (change to; their) service on the town council. This provision shall not prevent a town officer or employee who has taken a leave of absence from such duties in order to serve as a member of the town council from returning to such office or employment following service as a member of the town council. Any councilor who has been finally convicted of a criminal offense involving misconduct in any elective or appointive public office, trust or employment at any time held by him (change to: them) shall be deemed to have vacated office and not be eligible to serve in any other elective or appointive office or position in the town.

Article VI. Financial Management

Section 6-1. Annual Budget Policy

The council president shall call a joint meeting of the town council, the regional school committee chairman or his (change to: their) designee, the finance committee, the town manager and any other committees established for the budget process, before the commencement of the budget [process to review the financial condition of the town, revenue, and expenditure forecasts and other relevant information in order to develop a coordinated budget.

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