Requires certain candidates to file a statement attesting to the veracity of statements regarding the candidate's educational history, and service, employment and residency record

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Jamaal Bailey and 3 co-sponsors

Sets fixed $250 filing fees for certificate of organization and annual report under ch.156C, paid at filing; aims to reduce costs for small businesses, effective Jan 1, 2026.

REFERRED TO ELECTIONS

Summary — S.2138 (2025): "An Act reducing the costs for small businesses"

Note on source material: the supplied bill metadata includes conflicting titles, sponsors, and procedural entries. The text of Senate Docket No. 692 / Senate No. 2138 reproduces an act titled “An Act reducing the costs for small businesses,” authored/presented by Senator Ryan C. Fattman. This summary follows the bill text as provided. Verify the official legislative website for the most current status and sponsor list.

Key provisions

Amends G.L. c.156C, §12 by striking existing subsection (d) and replacing it with new language that:

Establishes a $250 fee for filing the certificate of organization required by subsection (a).
Establishes a $250 fee for filing the annual report required by subsection (c).
Requires that these fees be paid to the Secretary of the Commonwealth at the time of filing.

Effective date: January 1, 2026.

Who is affected

Entities required to file a certificate of organization and annual reports under G.L. c.156C §12 (i.e., business entities governed by chapter 156C). Chapter 156C governs certain business organization forms in Massachusetts; consult the statute for the exact entity types (e.g., limited liability companies or other entities covered by that chapter).

The Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office (administration/processing of filings and fee receipts).

Small businesses and new business applicants whose filing/annual-reporting costs will be set or changed by this provision.

Procedural status (as provided)

Filed in Senate (Senate Docket No. 692) — 01/14/2025 (docket filing date).

Introduced in Senate — 06/18/2025.

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services — 06/18/2025.

Earlier entries show referral to State Administration and Regulatory Oversight (02/27/2025), a scheduled hearing (05/13/2025), and status “REFERRED TO ELECTIONS” (01/15/2025). These entries are inconsistent; consult the official legislative clerk or website for an authoritative history.

Potential impact and considerations

Direct fiscal effect: establishes flat $250 fees for initial organization filings and annual reports; the net fiscal impact on businesses and on state revenue depends on the prior fee levels (the bill replaces the existing subsection but the prior amounts are not included in the provided text).

For businesses: could lower or raise filing costs depending on current fees; bill language and title indicate intent to reduce costs for small businesses.

Administrative: requires the Secretary of the Commonwealth to collect the specified amounts; implementation by the effective date (Jan 1, 2026) should be coordinated with internal fee schedules and forms.

Legal/technical: because the amendment replaces subsection (d) wholesale, verify for any related cross-references or downstream statutory effects.

Recommendation

Because of inconsistencies in the provided metadata (titles, sponsors, committee referrals, and dates), consult the Massachusetts Legislature’s bill tracking site or the Secretary of the Commonwealth for the official bill text, current sponsors, and the definitive legislative history before relying on this summary for decision-making.

Bill