H 5544

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 6244  FILED ON: 6/23/2026
 HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 5544
  The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  _________________
  PRESENTED BY:
  Dennis C. Gallagher
  _________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
   Court assembled:
   The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
   An Act establishing an amendment to Bridgewater Town Charter Article VIII, Section 8-2
  Citizen Referendum Petition Timeframe.
  _______________
  PETITION OF:
NAME:  DISTRICT/ADDRESS:  DATE ADDED:
Dennis C. Gallagher  8th Plymouth  6/23/2026
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  HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 6244  FILED ON: 6/23/2026
 HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 5544
By Representative Gallagher of Bridgewater, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 5544)
of Dennis C. Gallagher (with the approval of the town council) relative to the citizen referendum
petition timeframe in the charter of the city known as the town of Bridgewater. Municipalities
and Regional Government. [Local Approval Received.]
  The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  _______________
  In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
  (2025-2026)
  _______________
An Act establishing an amendment to Bridgewater Town Charter Article VIII, Section 8-2
Citizen Referendum Petition Timeframe.
  Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1ORDERED that pursuant to Article 89, Section 8 of the Massachusetts Constitution, that
2 allows the legislative body of the Town of Bridgewater to vote to submit a Special Act to the
3 State Legislature to Amend the current Bridgewater Town Charter, the Town Council voted to
4 amend said Town Charter, Article VIII, Section 8-2 as follows:
5Replace the existing language regarding the timeframe for submitting referendum
6 petitions with the following:
7Citizen Referendum Procedures; Referendum Petition; Effect on Final Passage
8If within 30 days after the final passage of a measure, a petition signed by voters equal in
9 number to at least 5 per cent of the total number of voters and addressed to the town council,
10 protesting against the measure or any part thereof taking effect, is filed with the elected town
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11 clerk, the same shall thereupon and thereby be suspended from taking effect and the town
12 council, as the case may be, shall immediately reconsider the measure or part thereof and if such
13 measure or part thereof is not entirely rescinded, the town council shall submit the same, to a
14 vote of the voters either at the next regular town election or at a special election which may, in its
15 discretion, be called for the purpose and the measure or part thereof shall forthwith become null
16 and void unless a majority of the voters voting on the same at the election vote in favor thereof.
17Said Amendment shall only become effective and is contingent upon approval by the
18 Town Council, the State Legislature and the voters of the Town of Bridgewater.
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