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HD 4600

A monthly report of the Executive Office of the Trial Court (under Section 15 of Chapter 239 of the General Laws, as amended by Section 64 of Chapter 28 of the Acts of 2023) submitting its report on filings, actions, and dispositions of summary process cases relative to permanent rental protections

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

Requires monthly EOTC report on summary process eviction activity aligned with permanent rental protections, boosting transparency for tenants, landlords, and policymakers.

Placed on file
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HD 4600

HD 4600 — Summary of Bill

Title and Purpose

HD 4600 would require the Executive Office of the Trial Court to submit a monthly report on filings, actions, and dispositions of summary process cases related to permanent rental protections. The reporting framework references Chapter 239, Section 15 (as amended) and is designed to support compliance with “Permanent Rental Protections.” The bill was introduced on April 29, 2025 and is currently listed as Placed on file.

What the bill would do

  • Mandate a monthly data report from the Executive Office of the Trial Court (EOTC) documenting eviction-related activity in summary process cases.
  • Align reporting with Section 15 of Chapter 239 of the General Laws (the permanent rental protections framework).
  • Ensure the monthly report covers a defined period (the accompanying report cites January 2024 through February 2025) and is compiled to inform policymakers and stakeholders.

Key provisions and data elements included in the monthly report

The bill outlines, or reflects the structure of, the following data categories to be included in each monthly report:
- Court-by-court counts of summary process actions filed within each jurisdiction that handles summary process cases (e.g., Housing Court, District Court, Boston Municipal Court, etc.).
- Defaults: number of default judgments entered, broken down by the reason for the summary process filing.
- Executions: number of executions issued for possession and/or money judgments, broken down by action/type and filing reason.
- Short-term emergency rental assistance (subsection (b) of Chapter 239, Section 15): number of continuances requested and granted; number of stays issued; average length of a continuance and a stay.
- Stays and continuances under Sections 9 and 10 of Chapter 239: counts of stays requested, granted, or denied.
- Mediation: number of landlords and tenants participating in pre-trial mediation and, where practicable, mediation outcomes.
- Legal representation and services: number of landlords and tenants receiving legal representation and/or legal services through on-site court diversion and support resources.
- Additional data context: references to data on eviction filings, tier-1 and tier-2 events, and executions issued; a Tableau public data link is noted for supplemental information.

Note: The bill text includes page references and figures from a 2025 report prepared by the EOTC. The publicly referenced data is available at the linked Tableau profile for further details.

Affected parties and stakeholders

  • Tenants facing eviction and landlords involved in summary process cases.
  • Courts with jurisdiction over summary process matters (Housing Court, District Court, Boston Municipal Court, etc.).
  • State agencies and offices monitoring housing stability and rental protections.
  • Policy makers and committees: Clerk of the House, Clerk of the Senate, and the House and Senate Ways and Means committees, as well as the Joint Committees on Housing and the Judiciary.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • The bill would establish a recurring, monthly reporting obligation by the EOTC.
  • Reporting period referenced in the accompanying material spans January 2024 through February 2025, with the output intended to support ongoing compliance and monitoring of permanent rental protections.
  • Recipients of the monthly report include key legislative offices and committees listed in the bill title.

Legislative status

  • Status: Placed on file (as of April 29, 2025), indicating no immediate advancement to a vote or committee action at this time.

Potential impact

  • Increases transparency around eviction filings and court actions related to permanent rental protections.
  • Provides policymakers with detailed, court-level data to assess the effectiveness and reach of rental protections, mediation, and emergency rental assistance programs.
  • Helps identify trends in continuances, stays, mediation participation, and access to legal resources for tenants and landlords.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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