An Act relative to archaic laws

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Mike Connolly and 6 co-sponsors

Creates a permanent Law Revision Commission to modernize Massachusetts law, consolidate session laws, and boost openness and public access through open-source tools.

Committee recommended ought to pass and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means

Purpose and high-level purpose

Establishes a permanent Law Revision Commission to identify defects, anachronisms, and inequities in Massachusetts law and to recommend modernizing reforms.

Aims to modernize and harmonize the Commonwealth’s statutes, improve openness/accessibility of laws, and support consolidation of session laws into the General Laws.

Creates a structured, ongoing process for reviewing existing laws and considering recommendations from national and professional bodies, judges, public officials, and the public.

Key provisions

Creation and mandate

Section 76 adds a permanent Law Revision Commission to Chapter 3 of the General Laws.

The Commission’s purpose includes examining common law, statutes, and judicial decisions to identify defects and anachronisms and to recommend reforms (including repeal where appropriate), adopt modernization proposals, and improve accessibility of laws (including open-source tools).

Scope of work

Consider reforms recommended by:

American Law Institute
National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws
Bar associations and other learned bodies

Receive and evaluate suggestions from judges, public officials, lawyers, and the public.

Recommend consolidations (e.g., session laws into the General Laws) and other modernization steps.

Propose steps to improve openness and accessibility of state laws (e.g., open-source tools).

Reporting

The Commission must meet at least four times per year.

At the close of each regular session, it must submit findings and recommendations (including draft legislation) to:

Clerks of the Senate and House
House and Senate committees on Ways and Means
Joint Committee on the Judiciary

Membership and appointments

Commission composition includes:

Co-chairs: Chairs of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary or their designees
Attorney General or designee
Four attorneys admitted to practice in Massachusetts (appointed by: Senate president, Speaker, Senate minority leader, House minority leader)
1 person appointed by the Massachusetts District Attorneys Association
1 person appointed by the Committee for Public Counsel Services
4 appointees by the Governor (one retired judge; two law school faculty; one historian with expertise in Massachusetts law)

Counsel to the Senate and House provide staff to coordinate activities and assist in drafting proposals.

Terms and vacancies

Members serve staggered four-year terms.

Vacancies filled by the original appointing authority for the balance of the term.

Timeline and procedural notes

Initial term staggering (Section 2) allocates four-year terms for the four attorney appointees (two from the legislature, two from party leadership), three-year terms for governor appointees, and two-year terms for the two remaining appointees.

The bill was introduced on August 18, 2025.

Legislative actions indicate: reported favorably by Judiciary (Aug 18, 2025), discharged to Rules (Sept 11, 2025), and committee recommendation “ought to pass” and reference to House Ways and Means (Oct 27, 2025).

Potential impact

Creates a formal, ongoing mechanism to modernize the Commonwealth’s legal framework.

Could yield prioritized reform proposals to repeal antiquated or inequitable rules and to harmonize and streamline laws.

May improve public access to laws through enhanced searchability and use of open-source tools.

Requires funding and administrative support for staff, research, and drafting of proposed legislation.

May affect future legislative workload as the Commission routinely proposes changes each session.

Bill