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S3004 • 2025

An Act authorizing print-free digital legal notices in the city of Newton

An Act authorizing print-free digital legal notices in the city of Newton

Active

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

Sponsor
Municipalities and Regional Government (J)
Last action
2026-05-11
Official status
Referred to House Committee on Bills in the Third Reading
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 print-free digital legal notices in the city of Newton

An Act authorizing print-free digital legal notices in the city of Newton Senate, March 9, 2026 -- The committee on Municipalities and Regional Government to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act authorizing print-free digital legal notices in the city of Newton Senate, March 9, 2026 -- The committee on Municipalities and Regional Government to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No.
  • 2894) of Cynthia Stone Creem, Greg Schwartz and John J.
  • Lawn, Jr.
  • (with approval of the mayor and city council) for legislation to authorize print-free digital legal notices in the city of Newton, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No.

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. 2026-05-11 House

    Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting

  2. 2026-05-11 House

    Rules suspended

  3. 2026-05-11 House

    Read second and ordered to a third reading

  4. 2026-04-13 House

    Read; and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling

  5. 2026-04-09 Senate

    Taken out of the Orders of the Day

  6. 2026-04-09 Senate

    Read third and passed to be engrossed

  7. 2026-04-01 Senate

    Read second and ordered to a third reading

  8. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Reported from the committee on Municipalities and Regional Government

  9. 2026-03-09 Senate

    New draft of S2894

  10. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Bill reported favorably by committee and placed in the Orders of the Day for the next session

Official Summary Text

An Act authorizing print-free digital legal notices in the city of Newton
Senate, March 9, 2026 -- The committee on Municipalities and Regional Government to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2894) of Cynthia Stone Creem, Greg Schwartz and John J. Lawn, Jr. (with approval of the mayor and city council) for legislation to authorize print-free digital legal notices in the city of Newton, report the accompanying bill (Senate, No. 3004).
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Bills in the Third Reading

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
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Bill S.3004

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding subsection (b) of section 13 of Chapter 4 of the General Laws, wherever the city of Newton and their subdivisions, committees, boards, commissions, bodies, or officers are required by statute, ordinance, by-law, regulation or judicial order to publish a legal notice in a newspaper or newspaper of general circulation, such requirement may be met through two or more of the following means:

(i) A print newspaper of local or general circulation;

(ii) A newspaper's website;

(iii) Websites reporting local news and opinion which satisfy all criteria for digital publication

as set forth in said subsection (b) of said section 13 of chapter 4;

(iv) A statewide website that may be maintained as a repository for such notices; or

(v) A city-wide website that may be maintained as a repository for such notices.

SECTION 2. Nothing set forth in this act shall be construed to alter or amend the time or timing of publication of legal notices set forth in the General Laws.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon its passage.

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