Massachusetts House passes Natick police age-waiver bills and local charter measures

Session-House-2026-08-17-House-Session-2026-08-17 · Meeting of August 17, 2026

BOSTON — Massachusetts House passes Natick police age-waiver bills and a raft of local measures in brief informal session. The House voted unanimously Monday to authorize the town of Natick to retain Police Chief James Hicks and Deputy Police Chief Brian Lazoom past the mandatory retirement age of 65 under House Bills 5427 and 5428. Member James Arciero of Westford won adoption of a resolution honoring Ronald H.

Johnson on his 90th birthday and decades of town service. The House also passed House Bill 5426 amending the North Attleborough charter, House Bill 1338 on credit union director compensation, and House Bill 5578 allowing Topsfield to use digital legal notices. An emergency preamble on a West Roxbury sewer-easement release drew the session's only recorded tally, with six members voting in the affirmative and none in opposition.

Member Thomas P. Walsh of Peabody successfully amended House Bill 4101 on the Drake Water Supply District to remove references to New Hampshire municipalities before that bill passed to be engrossed.

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Source: the Session-House-2026-08-17-House-Session-2026-08-17 meeting of August 17, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.