H5544 • 2025

An Act establishing an amendment to Bridgewater Town Charter Article VIII, Section 8-2 Citizen Referendum Petition Timeframe

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Sponsor: Dennis C. Gallagher
Last action: 2026-07-10
Official status: Referred to Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government
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 establishing an amendment to Bridgewater Town Charter Article VIII, Section 8-2 Citizen Referendum Petition Timeframe

An Act establishing an amendment to Bridgewater Town Charter Article VIII, Section 8-2 Citizen Referendum Petition Timeframe By Representative Gallagher of Bridgewater, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

An Act establishing an amendment to Bridgewater Town Charter Article VIII, Section 8-2 Citizen Referendum Petition Timeframe By Representative Gallagher of Bridgewater, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
5544) of Dennis C.
Gallagher (with the approval of the town council) relative to the citizen referendum petition timeframe 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

2026-07-10 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 07/22/2026 from 10:00 AM-12:00 PM in A-1
2026-07-01 Senate
Senate concurred
2026-06-29 House
Referred to the committee on Municipalities and Regional Government

Official Summary Text

An Act establishing an amendment to Bridgewater Town Charter Article VIII, Section 8-2 Citizen Referendum Petition Timeframe
By Representative Gallagher of Bridgewater, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 5544) of Dennis C. Gallagher (with the approval of the town council) relative to the citizen referendum petition timeframe in the charter of the city known as the town of Bridgewater. Municipalities and Regional Government. [Local Approval Received.]
Status:
Referred to Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.5544

ORDERED that pursuant to Article 89, Section 8 of the Massachusetts Constitution, that allows the legislative body of the Town of Bridgewater to vote to submit a Special Act to the State Legislature to Amend the current Bridgewater Town Charter, the Town Council voted to amend said Town Charter, Article VIII, Section 8-2 as follows:

Replace the existing language regarding the timeframe for submitting referendum petitions with the following:

Citizen Referendum Procedures; Referendum Petition; Effect on Final Passage

If within 30 days after the final passage of a measure, a petition signed by voters equal in number to at least 5 per cent of the total number of voters and addressed to the town council, protesting against the measure or any part thereof taking effect, is filed with the elected town clerk, the same shall thereupon and thereby be suspended from taking effect and the town council, as the case may be, shall immediately reconsider the measure or part thereof and if such measure or part thereof is not entirely rescinded, the town council shall submit the same, to a vote of the voters either at the next regular town election or at a special election which may, in its discretion, be called for the purpose and the measure or part thereof shall forthwith become null and void unless a majority of the voters voting on the same at the election vote in favor thereof.

Said Amendment shall only become effective and is contingent upon approval by the Town Council, the State Legislature and the voters of the Town of Bridgewater.

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