# Massachusetts H 4030: An Act relative to the organization and governance structure of the town of Rochester Massachusetts H 4030, An Act relative to the organization and governance structure of the town of Rochester, is a 194th General Court (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Mark D. Sylvia (Democratic), Michael J. Rodrigues (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-01-09 (Signed by the Governor, Chapter 99 of the Acts of 2025) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4030-194 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Massachusetts H 4030 - State: Massachusetts - Session: 194th General Court (2025-2026) - Title: An Act relative to the organization and governance structure of the town of Rochester - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-04-10 - Last action: 2026-01-09, Signed by the Governor, Chapter 99 of the Acts of 2025 - Sponsors: Mark D. Sylvia (Democratic), Michael J. Rodrigues (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: Municipalities and Regional Government, House Steering, Policy and Scheduling - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 1 (11 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 8 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Current town workers keep pay and time: benefit, medium. If you hold a town office or work for the town on the law’s start date, you keep your pay, grade, and credited time in service. This does not stop the act from moving some duties to someone else. - Current rules stay unless they conflict: benefit, low. All town laws, by‑laws, votes, rules, and contracts stay in force unless they conflict with this act. Pending court cases are not affected. When this act conflicts with earlier state laws, special acts, or town by‑laws, this act controls. - Law takes effect after town vote: benefit, low. The act takes effect only after the town of Rochester accepts it by a vote at town meeting. - New budget led by administrator: benefit, low. The town administrator submits a written annual budget for the next year. It shows all revenues, all spending, and debt service for the previous year, the current year, and the next five years. It lists capital and operating costs by department and includes estimated revenues and free cash. The fin… - Administrator can review all records: mixed, low. The town administrator can access all town books, papers, and documents needed to do the job. The administrator may examine any department under their supervision, or any officer or employee there, without notice. - Administrator manages insurance and lawsuits: mixed, low. The town administrator manages the town’s insurance, but the select board must approve insurance contracts and claim settlements. With the board’s approval, the administrator can prosecute, defend, and settle town lawsuits if money is appropriated. This does not cover lawsuits that involve only the… - Select board sets policy; admin runs operations: mixed, low. The select board is the town’s policy and goal‑setting body. The town administrator is the chief administrative officer and runs daily operations under the board. The administrator manages personnel policies for all non‑school staff and prepares job and pay plans under state and local law. With boa… - Town administrator job: rules and pay: mixed, low. The select board appoints a qualified town administrator and may sign a contract within legal limits. The person must be a U.S. citizen and does not have to live in Rochester. The administrator works full time and needs written board approval to hold any other job or office. The board sets pay, but… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Mark D. Sylvia (Democratic), House - Sponsor: Michael J. Rodrigues (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-07-02 | committee | Committee Favorable: Ought to Pass | pass | 11 | 0 | | ## Actions (15) - 2026-01-09: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 99 of the Acts of 2025 - 2025-12-31: Enacted and laid before the Governor (Senate) - 2025-12-31: Enacted (House) - 2025-12-24: Read third (title changed) and passed to be engrossed (Senate) - 2025-12-24: Taken out of the Orders of the Day (Senate) - 2025-10-16: Read second and ordered to a third reading (Senate) - 2025-09-18: Read; and placed in the Orders of the Day for the next session (Senate) - 2025-09-15: Read third and passed to be engrossed (House) - 2025-07-31: Read second and ordered to a third reading (House) - 2025-07-31: Rules suspended (House) - 2025-07-31: Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting (House) - 2025-07-14: Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling (House) - 2025-05-05: Hearing scheduled for 05/13/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-1 (legislature) - 2025-04-14: Senate concurred (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Referred to the committee on Municipalities and Regional Government (House) ## Bill text - Chapter 99 of the Acts of 2025, 2026-01-09: [PDF](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4030.pdf) ## Related bills - H 4585: An Act authorizing the town of Auburn to offer expanded senior property tax abatements (signed) - H 5435: An Act authorizing the town of Topsfield to continue to employment of police chief Neal Hovey (passed senate) - H 5515: An Act to increase the value of estates eligible for abatements pursuant to M.G.L. chapter 59, section 5, clauses seventeenth D and forty-first C in the town o… (passed house) - H 3909: An Act authorizing the Provincetown year-round market rate rental housing trust to acquire year-round housing occupancy restrictions (signed) - H 5520: An Act exempting George Patrinos from the maximum age requirement age for the position of firefighter in the town of Dudley (signed) - H 5429: An Act providing injured on duty compensation to Chelmsford firefighter Nicholas Spinale (second reading) ## Sources - [Chapter 99 of the Acts of 2025 (PDF)](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4030.pdf) ## Related - [H 4585: An Act authorizing the town of Auburn to offer expanded senior property tax aba…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4585-194) - [H 5435: An Act authorizing the town of Topsfield to continue to employment of police ch…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5435-194) - [H 5515: An Act to increase the value of estates eligible for abatements pursuant to M.G…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5515-194) - [H 3909: An Act authorizing the Provincetown year-round market rate rental housing trust…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H3909-194) - [H 5520: An Act exempting George Patrinos from the maximum age requirement age for the p…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5520-194) - [H 5429: An Act providing injured on duty compensation to Chelmsford firefighter Nichola…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5429-194) - [Massachusetts bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/massachusetts/bills) - [Massachusetts state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/massachusetts) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4030-194 (as of 2026-11-01).