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H 4110

Sgt. Maj. Francis Lawton Div. 2 Young Marine of the Year

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

The bill would repeal the North River Commission by transferring its duties to local town conservation commissions.

Introduced and adopted
0
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Bill Summary · H 4110

Summary — H 4110: "Sgt. Maj. Francis Lawton Div. 2 Young Marine of the Year" (filed as petition to eliminate North River Commission)

Note up front: the bill packet for H 4110 contains two distinct and unrelated pieces of text. One is a Massachusetts legislative petition to repeal a statutory provision establishing the North River Commission; the other is the full text of a South Carolina House resolution honoring Francis A. “Quinn” Lawton V. This summary focuses on the Massachusetts legislative measure (the operative item in the Commonwealth’s docket), and notes the data discrepancy.

Main purpose

  • The Massachusetts petition/act would repeal Section 62 of Chapter 367 of the Acts of 1978 — the statutory provision that established the North River Commission — and (per the petition title) place responsibilities formerly exercised by that commission in the hands of local town conservation commissions.

Key provision(s)

  • Repeal: “Section 62 of chapter 367 of the acts of 1978 is hereby repealed.”
  • Title/intent language: the bill is described as “An Act to eliminate the North River Commission and put in the hands of local town conservation commission.” No additional implementing language (e.g., transition rules, transfer of assets, liabilities, or staff, or identification of specific towns) appears in the version provided.

Who is affected

  • Directly affected: the North River Commission (a regional entity created in the 1978 act).
  • Indirectly affected: municipal conservation commissions in towns within the North River watershed or within the Commission’s jurisdiction; local officials; residents and stakeholders who use or rely on the Commission’s services (permitting, shoreline/river management, regional planning, conservation programs).
  • Potential fiscal and administrative impacts: responsibilities, duties, funding, staff, contract obligations, and ongoing projects managed by the Commission could shift to individual towns; this may increase municipal administrative workload and costs and reduce regional coordination.

Procedural/timeline status (as listed)

  • Filed / House Docket No. 3585: 01/17/2025.
  • Introduced and adopted: 02/26/2025 (per docket text).
  • Referred to Environment and Natural Resources committee: 05/12/2025.
  • Senate concurred: 05/15/2025.
  • Hearing scheduled: 07/01/2025, 1:00 PM–5:00 PM in A-1 (listed 06/23/2025 as scheduling action).
  • Related bill: HD 3585 (noted as replaced).

Note: the sequence above contains inconsistent procedural entries (e.g., “introduced and adopted” before committee referral). These inconsistencies appear in the provided docket and should be verified with the official legislative clerk’s records for exact status.

Implementation questions / outstanding details

  • The bill text as provided contains only the single repeal line and lacks implementing provisions addressing:
    • How statutory duties, contracts, assets, liabilities, permits, records, and ongoing programs of the North River Commission will transfer to towns.
    • Which towns are affected and whether any state funding would shift or be discontinued.
    • Timelines for transition and any grandfathering of ongoing regulatory decisions.
  • Because of those omissions, practical impacts and fiscal effects are not specified in the text and would likely require subsequent implementing language, a separate bill, or administrative regulations.

Note on unrelated content

  • The document bundle also includes the full text of a South Carolina House resolution honoring Francis A. “Quinn” Lawton V. That text is unrelated to the Massachusetts measure and appears to have been conflated into the same file.

If you want, I can:
- Look up and verify the current official status in the Massachusetts legislative database,
- Identify the towns typically served by the North River Commission and summarize likely local impacts,
- Draft potential implementing language that would address asset/contract transfer and transition timelines.

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

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