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S 1844

Allows voters to take photographs of themselves and their ballot, or absentee ballot, while in a privacy booth, and to share and disseminate such photographs on social media

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Brad Hoylman-Sigal

Massachusetts pension law tweak: moves the retirement-board eligibility date for Group 1/2/4 employees from April 2, 2012 to July 1, 2012.

REFERRED TO ELECTIONS
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 1844

Summary — S.1844 (as provided)

Important note on inconsistencies
- The materials you supplied contain multiple, conflicting pieces of metadata (a voter-photo title, a “Teaching AANHPI History Act” caption, U.S. Senate-style sponsors, and a Massachusetts Senate bill text). The only coherent legislative text in the packet is a short Massachusetts bill filed as “Senate No. 1844” by Senator Paul R. Feeney. This summary treats that Massachusetts bill text as the operative measure and flags the other inconsistent items below.

Bill identification (from provided text)

  • Bill number: S.1844 (Senate Docket No. 2034 — Commonwealth of Massachusetts)
  • Sponsor / Petitioner: Paul R. Feeney (Bristol and Norfolk)
  • Filed: January 17, 2025 (file header)
  • Short title in text: An Act relative to retirement boards
  • Official change proposed: Amendment to Subsection (47/8E) of Section 20 of Chapter 32 of the General Laws

Main purpose / intent

  • The bill makes a narrow, technical amendment to the Massachusetts public pension statute (Chapter 32). Specifically, it changes a date referenced in Subsection (47/8E) of Section 20 from “April 2, 2012” to “July 1, 2012.” The surrounding petition language indicates the topic concerns eligibility of Group 1, Group 2, or Group 4 employees with creditable service to serve on retirement boards.

Key provision

  • Strike the words “April 2, 2012” and insert “July 1, 2012” in Subsection (47/8E) of G.L. c.32, §20.
    • This is a single-clause, text-only amendment (no other statutory language is altered in the provided text).

Who is affected

  • Public-sector employees covered by Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 32, particularly those in Group 1, Group 2, or Group 4 (the standard Group designations for municipal/state employees and teachers), insofar as the date change affects whatever eligibility or grandfathering rule is set out in Subsection (47/8E).
  • Local and regional retirement boards and municipal personnel administrators may be affected administratively if the date change modifies which employees are eligible to serve on retirement boards.

Likely impact and effect

  • Scope: Narrow and technical — effectively modifies the cutoff/reference date in an eligibility provision. It likely expands or adjusts which employees meet the statute’s date-based eligibility requirement (exact effect depends on the full text of Subsection (47/8E) as currently in force).
  • Fiscal impact: Likely minimal; no new funding or benefits are created by the single-date substitution. Administrative impacts limited to implementing the revised eligibility rule.
  • Implementation: Takes effect upon enactment (no alternative effective date is specified in the provided text).

Procedural / timeline notes and discrepancies

  • The bill text shows a Massachusetts Senate filing date of 1/17/2025 and identifies Paul R. Feeney as petitioner.
  • The packet also includes unrelated or conflicting metadata (a different bill title about photographing ballots, a different act name, U.S. Senate-style sponsors such as Mazie Hirono and Ruben Gallego, committee referrals to “Elections” and to federal committees, and other bill numbers). Those items appear to come from other bills and are not consistent with the Massachusetts Senate No. 1844 text.
  • Recommendation: Verify the correct bill number and jurisdiction (Massachusetts vs. federal) with the official legislative website or clerk’s office before relying on the metadata. If you want, I can (a) retrieve the current live text/status for Massachusetts S.1844, or (b) prepare a separate summary for the alternative title (voter-photo / AANHPI history bill) if you provide the authoritative text or clarify which bill you want summarized.

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

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