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H 4214

Retirement Christina C. Harris

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

Fall River Police Chief becomes subject to state civil service (Chapter 31) while mayor retains appointment power, allows up to a 3-year contract, and protects current staff rights.

Introduced, adopted, returned with concurrence
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Bill Summary · H 4214

Summary — H 4214 (House Bill) / “An Act relative to the appointment of the police chief in the city of Fall River”

Status and procedural timeline
- Filed: House Docket No. 4765 (filed 5/29/2025). Introduced in the House by Rep. Carole A. Fiola with Sen. Michael J. Rodrigues as a joint petitioner.
- Referred to the Joint Committee on Public Service (record shows referral on 6/09/2025).
- Senate concurrence recorded 6/12/2025. Committee reported favorably and additional House scheduling and readings occurred in November 2025 (rules suspended 11/24/2025; read second and ordered to third reading).
- Current classification: concurrent resolution / local act (local approval received). Related bill: HD 4765 (replaces).

Purpose and intent
- To make the position of Police Chief for the City of Fall River subject to Massachusetts civil service law (Chapter 31) and related rules, while preserving certain local appointing authority and contractual provisions for a limited period.

Key provisions
1. Civil service status
- The Police Chief position in Fall River is made subject to Chapter 31 of the Massachusetts General Laws and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder upon the Act’s effective date.

  1. Appointing authority and employment contracts

    • The Mayor remains the appointing authority for Police Chief.
    • The terms and conditions of the Police Chief’s employment contract shall be subject to Section 1080 of Chapter 41 (Mass. Gen. Laws) for a period not to exceed three (3) years. (Section 1080 generally governs contracts of employment for municipal department heads.)

  2. Departmental management and internal appointing authority

    • The Police Chief is designated head of the Fall River Police Department and is responsible for its management and operation.
    • The Police Chief shall be the “Appointing Authority” for all employees of the police department in accordance with Chapter 31 (i.e., with the rights, duties and privileges provided under civil service law for appointing authorities).

  3. Applicability and protection of existing rights

    • Applies to any vacancy in the Police Chief position occurring on or after the Act’s effective date.
    • Explicitly preserves the civil service status, seniority, and rights of any person employed in the Fall River Police Department as of the effective date.

  4. Effective date

    • The Act takes effect upon passage.

Who is affected
- Directly: City of Fall River municipal government (Mayor’s office) and the Fall River Police Department — specifically the Police Chief position and the department’s employees in matters of appointment under Chapter 31.
- Indirectly: Candidates for Police Chief (who will be subject to civil service rules for qualification/selection) and municipal labor/HR processes in Fall River.

Practical impact
- Aligns the chief’s position and departmental hiring/appointment practices with state civil service rules, while retaining the mayor’s local appointing role and allowing limited-term contractual arrangements for the chief (up to 3 years).
- Preserves protections for existing employees’ civil service rights and seniority.

Note on document content
- The bill file also contains text of a separate South Carolina concurrent resolution honoring “Major Christina C. Harris, USAF” on her retirement. That resolution appears to be a different, unrelated legislative item included in the same document packet; it does not affect the Fall River municipal provisions summarized above.

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

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