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H 4475

An Act authorizing the appointment of retired police officers as special police officers in the town of Norwood

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by John Rogers

Authorizes Norwood to appoint retired Massachusetts police officers in good standing (superannuation) as special police officers for details and related duties.

Hearing scheduled for 10/15/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-1
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Bill Summary · H 4475

Summary of H.4475: An Act authorizing the appointment of retired police officers as special police officers in the town of Norwood

Overview

H.4475 would authorize the town of Norwood to appoint retired Massachusetts police officers as special police officers to perform police details or related duties. The bill modifies prior law governing when and how Norwood can employ retired officers and sets the condition that such officers must have retired in good standing from a Massachusetts community through superannuation.

What the bill would do

  • Allow the general manager of Norwood to appoint retired police officers as needed to perform police details or other duties arising from detail work, or during the course of police detail activity.
  • Limit eligibility to regular police officers who retired in good standing from a Massachusetts community based on superannuation.
  • Make the authorization effective upon passage.

Key provisions

  • Section 1 (amendment to existing law): Replaces the first sentence of Section 1 of Chapter 81 of the Acts of 2010 (as amended) with language authorizing Norwood’s general manager to appoint retired officers for police details or related duties, provided those officers retired in good standing from a MA community via superannuation.
  • Section 2: Takes effect upon passage.

Who is affected

  • Retired Massachusetts police officers who meet the “retired in good standing” and “superannuation” criteria.
  • The town of Norwood and its police department, via the general manager’s authority to appoint special police officers.
  • Other governments or entities in Norwood relying on police details may experience increased access to retired personnel for detail work.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Introduction and filing: Introduced September 4, 2025 (House No. 4475; filed August 1, 2025).
  • Legislative actions:
    • Referred to the Committee on Public Service (2025-09-04).
    • Senate concurrence achieved (2025-09-08).
    • Hearing scheduled: October 15, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM in room B-1.
  • Related actions: House Docket No. 4996; petition by Representative John H. Rogers of Norwood. “Local approval” noted in the petition. Related bill HD 4996 is mentioned as replacing.
  • Effective date: Upon passage (no separate delayed or transitional period specified).

Potential impact and considerations

  • Provides Norwood with a formal mechanism to employ retired officers for details, potentially enhancing staffing flexibility for events, construction, or other detail-based needs.
  • Sets eligibility to retired officers in good standing from MA communities, maintaining a standard tied to superannuation status.
  • Could have budget or staffing implications for Norwood’s police operations, depending on how often retired officers are utilized and the compensation framework for special police details.

Note: This summary reflects the bill text and posted legislative actions as of the listed dates.

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

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