Massachusetts House Passes Property Tax, Charter, and Local Governance Bills in Brief Session

BOSTON -- February 17, 2026, The Massachusetts House passed four local bills and advanced ten more to third reading in a brief informal session on February 17, 2026. The session, presided over by Speaker Pro Tempore Kate Hogan, opened with unanimous adoption of Lunar New Year resolutions sponsored by Representative Tackey Chan of Quincy and other members of the House Asian Caucus, with Representative Vanna Howard of Lowell marking the start of the 4,724th year of the Lunar Calendar. Seven committee deadline extensions were approved on voice votes, pushing reporting requirements for panels covering housing, labor, education, and municipal government to mid-March. The Committee on Steering, Policy, and Scheduling placed ten bills before the House, including multiple senior property tax exemption measures and a veterans' tax workoff amount amendment, all ordered to a third reading. House Bill 4360, amending Agawam's charter to remove a Board of Appeals reference, and House Bill 4815, authorizing Arlington's Select Board to place a liquor license expansion question on the town ballot, were both passed to be enacted; House Bill 4389, directing the Boston Police Department to waive the maximum age requirement for officer Angel G. Rivera, and House Bill 4784, establishing a town administrator in Hopedale, were passed to be engrossed.