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SD 3921

EOTC January 2025 through April 2026 Permanent Rental Protections Report

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

The bill requires a monthly, public court report detailing eviction actions, outcomes, stays, mediation, and legal representation from Jan 2025 to Apr 2026.

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Bill Summary · SD 3921

Summary of Bill SD 3921 (Session 194th) – EOTC January 2025 through April 2026 Permanent Rental Protections Report

This bill appears to require a comprehensive, publicly available report from the Massachusetts Trial Court documenting eviction-related actions and related processes for a defined period, with emphasis on rental protections and responses to short-term emergency rental assistance programs. The report is intended to inform legislative oversight and policy discussions.

Purpose and Intent

  • Establish or formalize a detailed, monthly and periodic accounting of eviction filings, outcomes, and related court processes.
  • Provide a transparent data-driven view of summary process (eviction) cases from January 2025 through April 2026.
  • Supply lawmakers and relevant committees with information relevant to rental protections, emergency rental assistance, and mediation/representation efforts.

Key Provisions and Changes

  • Publication of a Monthly Summary Process (Eviction) Report by the Massachusetts Trial Court, in compliance with General Laws Chapter 239, Section 15.
  • The report must be submitted to:
    • Clerk of the Massachusetts House of Representatives
    • Clerk of the Massachusetts Senate
    • House Committee on Ways and Means
    • Senate Committee on Ways and Means
    • Joint Committee on Housing
    • Joint Committee on the Judiciary
  • Coverage and contents of the monthly report (pages 1–9) include:
    • Page 1: Number of actions for summary process entered and filed for each court with jurisdiction.
    • Page 2: Number of default judgments entered, broken down by the reason for the eviction filing.
    • Page 3: Number of executions for possession orders granted, broken down by the filing reason.
    • Page 4: Number of continuances requested and granted due to pending applications for short-term emergency rental assistance (as per subsection (b)).
    • Page 5: Number of stays issued due to pending applications for short-term emergency rental assistance (as per subsection (b)).
    • Page 6: Average length of continuances and stays granted under subsection (b).
    • Page 7: Number of stays requested, granted, or denied pursuant to sections 9 and 10 of chapter 239.
    • Page 8: Participation in pre-trial mediation by landlords and tenants, and, to the extent practicable, the outcome of each mediation.
    • Page 9: Number of landlords and tenants receiving legal representation and legal services through on-site court diversion and support resources.
  • Inclusion of other related data:
    • References to data on eviction filings, tier-1 and tier-2 events, and executions issued, with a public Tableau data portal link for supplementary data.
  • The report spans January 2025 through April 2026 (inclusive of those months) and is intended to be periodically updated and accessible to policymakers.

Who or What Would Be Affected

  • Massachusetts trial court operations and the Executive Office of the Trial Court (administrative body responsible for the courts).
  • State legislators and public officials overseeing housing policy, eviction proceedings, and rental protections.
  • Landlords and tenants, especially those involved in eviction actions, as data on mediation, legal representation, and outcomes will be summarized.
  • Parties seeking emergency rental assistance, since continuances, stays, and mediation outcomes related to emergency rental assistance are captured.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • The report is a compliance-driven document under General Laws Chapter 239, Section 15.
  • Data collection period specified: January 2025 through April 2026.
  • Monthly reporting structure with nine content areas, plus data visualization via an online Tableau portal.
  • The bill’s action history indicates it was placed on file as of May 18, 2026, suggesting the bill has advanced in some form or was formally filed for record-keeping and dissemination.

Potential Impact and Uses

  • Enhanced transparency around eviction trends, default judgments, and possession executions.
  • Insight into the effectiveness and uptake of short-term emergency rental assistance, including how often continuances and stays are granted due to such assistance.
  • Information to support policy decisions on rental protections, mediation programs, and access to legal representation for tenants and landlords.
  • Data-driven oversight for committees responsible for housing, judiciary, and budgets (Ways and Means).

If you’d like, I can tailor this into a concise one-page briefing with section bullets for quick distribution or expand any section with more granular interpretation based on the bill text.

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

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