An Act relative to certain special revolving funds in the town of Athol

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Susannah Whipps

Transfers all remaining funds from Athol's VABC Receivership Revolving Fund into the VABC Demo Revolving Fund, then extinguishes the Receivership fund to consolidate accounts.

Overview

Purpose: To consolidate two special revolving funds in the Town of Athol by transferring any remaining funds from the VABC Receivership Account to the VABC Demo Account, and to extinguish the Receivership revolving fund once the transfer is complete.

Bill designation: HD 5009 (House D docket), titled “An Act relative to certain special revolving funds in the town of Athol.”

Status: Filed and introduced in 2025 with local approval noted in the accompanying language; local approval received as part of the petition process.

Sponsor: Representative Susannah M. Whipps (Athol), petitioned by the Town.

Key Provisions

Section 1

Transfers: Any funds remaining in the Town of Athol’s special revolving fund designated as VABC Receivership Account #27000-300-00-3590-0001 (established in Chapter 143 of the Acts of 2016) shall be transferred to the special revolving fund designated as VABC Demo Account #27000-300-00-3590-0002 (established in Chapter 144 of the Acts of 2016).
Extinguishment: Upon completion of the transfer, the VABC Receivership revolving fund established under Chapter 143 shall be extinguished.
Legal Authority: The transfer is authorized “notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary,” i.e., the Act supersedes conflicting laws to effect the transfer.

Section 2

Effective Date: The act takes effect upon passage.

Who/What Is Affected

Affected entity: Town of Athol.

Funds involved:

VABC Receivership Account (#27000-300-00-3590-0001), established in Chapter 143, Acts of 2016.
VABC Demo Account (#27000-300-00-3590-0002), established in Chapter 144, Acts of 2016.

Outcome: The Receivership Revolving Fund would be eliminated; its remaining balance would be moved to the Demo Revolving Fund.

Financial and Operational Implications

Reallocation: Shifts all remaining funds from the Receivership fund into the Demo fund, consolidating the two accounts under the Demo designation.

Fund status: The Receivership revolving fund would be extinguished and would no longer exist as a separate revolving fund.

Governance: The reallocation is enabled despite potential conflicting laws, enabling the town to reorganize its revolving funds as a single continued fund.

Timeline and Procedural Context

Introduction/Filed: August 5, 2025 (House Docket No. 5009; accompanying House No. 4401).

Local approval: The bill was introduced with the petition of a member representing Athol, and the record indicates local approval was received.

Effective date: Immediate upon passage (no separate future date specified).

Summary Assessment

This bill is a targeted, local amendment to Athol’s revolving funds intended to streamline fund management by transferring the remaining balance of the VABC Receivership Account into the VABC Demo Account and extinguishing the former. It uses a broad "notwithstanding" clause to ensure the transfer can proceed notwithstanding other laws. The action is strictly local in scope, with an immediate effective date upon enactment.

Bill