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S 2218

Relates to rental-purchase agreement forms

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Leroy Comrie

Designates 'Roadrunner' by Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers as Massachusetts’ official rock song; a symbolic designation with no funding or IP changes.

REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 2218

Summary — S.2218 (Commonwealth of Massachusetts)

Status: Reported favorably by committee; referred to Senate Rules (most recent action 2025-11-10)
Primary sponsor (Senate docket): Bruce E. Tarr (First Essex and Middlesex)

Purpose

S.2218 is a ceremonial/state-symbols bill that designates the song “Roadrunner,” words and music by Jonathan Richman, as the official rock song of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Key provision

  • Adds a new Section 61 to Chapter 2 of the Massachusetts General Laws stating:
    • “The song, ‘Roadrunner’, words and music by Jonathan Richman, as recorded by Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers shall be the official rock song of the commonwealth.”

This is a single-section statutory addition; no regulatory program or funding is created.

Who or what is affected

  • The designation is symbolic. It primarily affects:
    • State ceremonial and cultural recognition (e.g., publications, promotional materials that list official state symbols).
    • Public and cultural stakeholders who reference official Commonwealth symbols.
  • There is no direct effect on private property rights, licensing, or copyright ownership — the bill names the song but does not address intellectual property or require any action by the copyright holder.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • Senate docket shows the bill filed (SENATE DOCKET NO. 44) on 01/07/2025 and presented by Sen. Bruce E. Tarr.
  • Committee and floor actions listed in the provided materials include:
    • Hearing scheduled: 06/24/2025 (A-1)
    • Reported favorably by committee and referred to Senate Rules: 11/10/2025
    • Various “read twice and referred” and “introduced” entries with dates in 2025 (including 07/09/2025) and earlier references to similar matter in the 2023–2024 session.
  • No explicit effective date appears in the bill text; absent a specific provision, enactment would follow the Commonwealth’s standard rules for effective dates (typically upon enactment or as specified by statute).

Additional notes and data inconsistencies

  • The bill text and docket clearly indicate a Massachusetts state-symbols measure introduced by Sen. Bruce E. Tarr. However, some metadata provided (sponsor names such as Jacky Rosen, Kevin Cramer, Jon Ossoff; references to federal committees like Armed Services; and entries mentioning House concurrence) do not align with a Massachusetts Senate bill and appear inconsistent or erroneous. Those items likely reflect data errors and are not reflected in the bill text itself.
  • Fiscal impact: None identified in the text — the designation is ceremonial and would not create new expenditures or regulatory programs.

Bottom line: S.2218 is a short, symbolic bill to designate “Roadrunner” by Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers as Massachusetts’ official rock song. It adds one statutory section and carries no substantive regulatory or fiscal consequences.

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

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