Massachusetts Senate Passes Local Bills, Adjourns to Thursday in Brief Session

Session-Senate-Session-081726-Caption-2026-08-20 · Meeting of August 20, 2026

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Senate cleared a slate of local bills in a brief session August 20, adjourning to Thursday with no floor debate. Two measures, H. 5304 releasing a sewer line easement in Boston's West Roxbury neighborhood and a land conveyance bill for the towns of Bolton and Lancaster, each passed emergency preamble standing votes with two members in the affirmative and none opposed, putting them on a fast track to immediate effect. Four additional bills passed to be enacted or engrossed by voice vote, including H. 5426 amending the North Attleboro charter, a real property tax exemption for people with disabilities in Swampscott (H. 4444), and an age-requirement waiver allowing Sean Duffy to sit for the Haverhill firefighter civil service exam (H. 5473).

Senator Michael F. Rush co-sponsored a House petition to establish a sick leave bank for Patrick Nelligan, a Department of Correction employee; the Senate suspended Joint Rule 12 to accept it and referred it to the Committee on Public Service.

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Source: the Session-Senate-Session-081726-Caption-2026-08-20 meeting of August 20, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.