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H 3902

Loris 2024 football season

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Terry Alexander and 121 co-sponsors

Local bill exempts all sworn Stoughton police officers (except Chief) from state civil service, granting the town control over hiring/promotion, with incumbents grandfathered.

Introduced, adopted, returned with concurrence
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Bill Summary · H 3902

Summary — H 3902 (House No. 3902) — Town of Stoughton: civil service exemption for police officers

Main purpose

H 3902 would authorize the Town of Stoughton (Massachusetts) to exempt all sworn police officer positions at every rank — except the Chief of Police (already exempted under Mass. Acts of 1978, c. 474) — from the state civil service law (Chapter 31 of the Massachusetts General Laws). The measure is a local enabling act giving the town control over hiring and promotions for its police force going forward.

Note: The file submitted with this bill also contains text of an unrelated concurrent resolution recognizing the Loris High School (South Carolina) 2024 football team. That resolution appears to be a separate, non‑related document and does not change the substance of H 3902.

Key provisions

  • Section 1: Exempts all positions of police officers in all ranks in the Stoughton Police Department from Chapter 31 (Mass. civil service law), except the Chief of Police (who is already exempt).
  • Section 2: Protects incumbents — the exemption does not impair the current civil service status of any sworn officer holding a position on the act’s effective date. The exemption applies prospectively to appointments and promotions as of the date of the Town of Stoughton Annual Town Meeting vote of May 8, 2024.
  • Section 3: The act takes effect upon passage.

Who is affected

  • Town of Stoughton government and municipal officials (responsible for recruitment, hiring, promotions and employment rules for the police department).
  • Current sworn Stoughton police officers: their existing civil service rights/status are preserved (grandfathered).
  • Future hires and promotees in the Stoughton Police Department (appointments and promotions after May 8, 2024) would no longer be governed by Chapter 31 protections and procedures.
  • Massachusetts Civil Service Commission: reduced role with respect to future Stoughton police appointments/promotions.

Potential impacts

  • Local control: Stoughton would gain flexibility to set its own hiring and promotional procedures (e.g., direct appointments, locally designed selection processes, different testing or evaluation systems).
  • Employee protections: prospective employees/promotees would not have civil service appeal rights and standardized testing requirements; this could affect transparency, competitive selection, reinstatement rights, or layoff order rules tied to civil service.
  • Labor relations/collective bargaining: changes could affect bargaining topics or grievance procedures; unions or current employees may seek contractual safeguards.
  • Administrative responsibilities shift to town HR/police leadership.

Legislative status & timeline

  • Introduced / filed: February 10–11, 2025 (House Docket No. 4387 / House No. 3902). Sponsors: Rep. Edward R. Philips, with William C. Galvin and William J. Driscoll, Jr. (local approval received).
  • Referred to House Committee on Public Service: March 13, 2025.
  • Actions: Introduced/adopted/returned with concurrence (Feb–Mar 2025); Senate concurred April 10, 2025.
  • Hearings: Committee hearing events recorded for September 17, 2025 (scheduling/rescheduling entries appear in the file).

Related bill

  • HD 4387 (listed as a replacement in the docket).

If enacted, H 3902 would be a local law changing how Stoughton fills and promotes police positions going forward while preserving current civil service status for incumbent officers.

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

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