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H 4507

Tony Whitlock Retirement

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Terry Alexander and 122 co-sponsors

Private act waives age limit for William Pilleri to take Arlington firefighter exam; one-time exception, sunset 6/1/2029; not a general rule.

Introduced and adopted
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Bill Summary · H 4507

Summary — H.4507 (House Docket No. 5106)

Title shown: Tony Whitlock Retirement
Classification: resolution (filed as an Act)
Introduced: September 4–11, 2025 (petitions filed 9/4–9/5/2025)
Sponsors: Rep. Sean Garballey, Sen. Cindy F. Friedman, Rep. David M. Rogers
Chamber actions and schedule: Referred to Committee on Public Service (9/11/2025); Senate concurred (9/15/2025); hearing scheduled 10/15/2025 (1:00–5:00 PM, B‑1). Status reported as “Introduced and adopted.”

Note on mixed content: The bill packet also includes an unrelated South Carolina House resolution honoring Vivian Thomas “Tony” Whitlock on his retirement. That text appears to be appended to the docket but is a separate, out‑of‑state resolution and not part of the Massachusetts enactment summarized below.

Purpose

To authorize a named individual, William Pilleri (an Arlington resident), to take the civil service examination for appointment as a firefighter in the town of Arlington even though he has exceeded the statutory maximum age for that civil service position.

Key provisions

  • Waiver of age restriction: “Notwithstanding chapter 31 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, William Pilleri… may take the civil service examination for appointment to the position of firefighter in the town of Arlington, notwithstanding his having reached the age of 32.”
  • Limited scope: The authorization applies only to William Pilleri and only for the Arlington firefighter exam; it does not amend general civil service age rules or create a precedent for other individuals.
  • Effective date and sunset: The act takes effect upon passage and automatically expires on June 1, 2029.

Who is affected

  • Directly affected: William Pilleri — permitted to sit for the Arlington firefighter civil service exam despite exceeding the normal maximum age.
  • Indirectly affected: Town of Arlington civil service administration insofar as they may process Pilleri’s examination and any resulting appointment; Massachusetts Human Resources/Division of Human Resources affected only in the narrow procedural sense.
  • Not affected: The law does not change the age eligibility for other applicants or alter chapter 31 generally.

Legal and practical implications

  • This is a private/personal special act that creates a one‑time statutory exception for a single named person.
  • Authorization to take the exam does not guarantee appointment; Pilleri would still need to pass the examination and meet other qualification and appointment rules.
  • The sunset clause limits the period during which the waiver is effective (through 6/1/2029).

Procedural/timeline notes

  • Petition and filing: House Docket No. 5106 filed 9/4/2025; sponsors’ petition dates 9/4–9/5/2025.
  • Referred to Public Service Committee on 9/11/2025.
  • Senate concurrence recorded 9/15/2025.
  • Public hearing scheduled for 10/15/2025 (1:00–5:00 PM, room B‑1).
  • The docket notes “Local Approval Received,” consistent with local endorsement for a municipal civil service exception.

Related bill

  • HD 5106 is listed as a related/replacing item.

Appendix — Unrelated content found in the file

The docket also contains the full text of a South Carolina House resolution (filed 05/06/2025) honoring Vivian Thomas “Tony” Whitlock on his retirement from the Florence County Election Commission. That resolution is not part of the Massachusetts measure and appears to be an unrelated insertion in the provided materials.

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

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