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H 4313

Chi Eta Phi Sorority 71st Regional Conference

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Terry Alexander and 122 co-sponsors

Allows North Brookfield to publish legal notices digitally when no suitable print newspaper exists, using local or statewide repositories, while preserving timing requirements.

Scrivener's error corrected
0
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Bill Summary · H 4313

Summary — House Bill No. 4313 (and related resolution materials)

This file appears to combine two separate legislative items in the record: (A) a Massachusetts local act (House Bill No. 4313) that would authorize "print‑free" digital legal notices for the Town of North Brookfield, and (B) a ceremonial South Carolina House resolution welcoming Chi Eta Phi Sorority after its 71st Southeast Regional Conference. Both are summarized below with emphasis on the Massachusetts bill (H.4313), which contains substantive policy language.

A. Massachusetts — H.4313: "Print‑free" digital legal notices for North Brookfield

Purpose

Allow the Town of North Brookfield (boards, committees, and municipal officials) to satisfy statutorily required legal‑notice publication requirements entirely by digital means where an adequate print newspaper is not available.

Key provisions

  • Section 1 — Purpose: Authorizes digital publication in light of a lack of an adequate print newspaper in the community.
  • Section 2 — Process: When statute, bylaw, or judicial order currently requires notice in a newspaper or paper of general circulation, the public body (by majority vote) or the municipal official charged with posting may instead use the alternative digital means specified in Section 3.
  • Section 3 — Permitted means to satisfy notice requirements (any one or more of):
    • (A) A print newspaper of local or general circulation;
    • (B) That newspaper's website;
    • (C) Websites reporting local news and opinion that meet the digital‑publication criteria in G.L. c.4, §13(b);
    • (D) A statewide website maintained as a repository for such notices; or
    • (E) A townwide website maintained as a repository for such notices.
  • Section 4 — Legal timing: The act does not change any timing requirements (number of days, deadlines) specified by Massachusetts law, bylaw, or judicial order.
  • Section 5 — Effective date: Upon passage.

Who is affected / impact

  • Directly affects the Town of North Brookfield and its municipal boards, committees, and officials by allowing fully digital legal notices as an alternative to printed newspaper notices.
  • Indirectly affects residents, persons or firms that monitor legal notices, and publishers of local newspapers (potentially reducing print notice placements in North Brookfield).
  • Preserves existing timing requirements, but shifts permissible publication venues to include digital repositories and qualifying news websites.

Procedural status and timeline (as recorded)

  • Filed: 7/16/2025 (House Docket No. 4935 / House Bill No. 4313)
  • Referred to the Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government: 7/23/2025
  • Senate concurred: 7/24/2025
  • Hearing (written testimony only) scheduled: 8/14/2025
  • Committee reported favorably and referred to House Steering, Policy and Scheduling: 9/08/2025
  • 10/14/2025 — Committee placed matter in Orders of the Day for next sitting for second reading; Rules suspended; read second and ordered to a third reading.
  • Effective upon enactment (if passed and signed).

B. South Carolina — House Resolution (ceremonial), welcoming Chi Eta Phi Sorority

  • Purpose: A House resolution welcoming Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Incorporated (noting the Delta Eta chapter and Upsilon Phi chapter references), congratulating the organization on its 71st Southeast Regional Conference (March 12–16, 2025, Hilton Head Island), and thanking the more than 400 nurses who attended for their service to humanity.
  • Status: Introduced and adopted April 9, 2025; multiple scrivener's‑error corrections recorded (4/23/2025; 6/23/2025; 8/01/2025).
  • Nature: Ceremonial/expressive resolution (no legal or regulatory effect). A copy is to be presented to Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Incorporated.

Notes
- The record provided merges two distinct items (a Massachusetts local law proposal and a South Carolina ceremonial resolution). The substantive policy change is contained in the Massachusetts bill (H.4313) permitting specified digital alternatives to print legal notices for North Brookfield.

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

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