# Massachusetts H 4156: An Act establishing a charter for the city of Cambridge Massachusetts H 4156, An Act establishing a charter for the city of Cambridge, is a 194th General Court (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Marjorie C. Decker (Democratic); status signed, last action 2025-09-16 (Signed by the Governor, Chapter 27 of the Acts of 2025) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4156-194 - 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 4156 - State: Massachusetts - Session: 194th General Court (2025-2026) - Title: An Act establishing a charter for the city of Cambridge - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-05-27 - Last action: 2025-09-16, Signed by the Governor, Chapter 27 of the Acts of 2025 - Sponsor: Marjorie C. Decker (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 2 - Subjects: Municipalities and Regional Government, House Steering, Policy and Scheduling, Bills in the Third Reading - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 1 (11 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 18 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Budget deadlines, priorities, and yearly audits: benefit, medium. The city’s fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30. The City Manager files the operating and capital budgets, including schools, and the Council must act before year end. If the Council does not act on an item by July 1, that amount becomes appropriated for its stated purpose. The Manager and Council sh… - Charter rules and smooth transitions: benefit, low. The charter controls when it conflicts with a city special act or local law. Existing city laws stay in force unless they conflict with the charter. City contracts, bonds, taxes, fines, and cases from before the charter remain valid and collectible. City employees keep their jobs, pay grade, and se… - City can partner with governments: benefit, low. The city may share services and costs with state, regional, or federal agencies by agreement. The City Council considers regional cooperation in its work. - Council-manager government with clear oversight: benefit, low. The law makes the City Council the lawmaking body and the City Manager the chief executive. The Council hires the manager by contract for up to 5 years and reviews pay and performance each year. The manager runs departments, prepares budgets, and hires and removes staff under civil service and unio… - Hiring and oversight of top staff: benefit, low. The City Council appoints a qualified city auditor and city clerk by majority vote. The mayor supervises them, can suspend up to five unpaid days, and needs six council votes to remove a council‑appointed employee; the mayor also does yearly reviews. The council appoints a city manager based only o… - Hiring by merit and department changes: benefit, low. City jobs and promotions must be based on merit and fitness, shown by exams, past work, or other proof. The manager can reorganize departments only by an administrative order with public notice and a hearing. The plan takes effect after 60 days unless the Council votes to disapprove by a majority.… - How council and school vacancies are filled: benefit, low. Vacancies on the City Council or School Committee are first filled by a public recount of the original ballots under set transfer rules. If a recounted candidate is eligible and willing, the City Clerk administers the oath within 15 days. If no nominated candidate is available, the remaining member… - How the City Council works: benefit, low. The law sets a nine-member City Council, elected citywide by ranked-choice voting. Councillors serve two-year terms starting the first Monday in January. Any registered Cambridge voter age 18 or older can serve; moving out of the city vacates the seat. The council elects a mayor and vice mayor; the… - Open meetings and official records: benefit, low. City boards and commissions meet regularly and, unless law allows, meet in public. They keep agendas and minutes and file approved records with the city clerk within 15 days. Members usually must be Cambridge residents. Elected and appointed officials get a certificate and must take an oath before… - Regular reviews of city rules: benefit, low. By July 1 in every year ending in “2,” the council creates a charter review committee of city voters who are not elected officials. The committee reports within one year unless extended. At least every 10 years, the council reviews city ordinances for updates under the city solicitor’s oversight. - Who can vote and nonpartisan races: benefit, low. You can vote in city elections if you are a U.S. citizen, at least 18, a Cambridge resident, registered in the city, and not disqualified for corrupt election practices. All city offices are nonpartisan, and ballots and materials cannot show party labels. State election and corrupt‑practices laws a… - How the School Committee works: benefit, low. The School Committee has six elected members plus the mayor, chosen citywide by ranked-choice voting. Members serve two-year terms starting the first Monday in January; moving out creates a vacancy. The committee elects a chair and vice-chair, runs meetings, and forms subcommittees. It hires and ma… - Limits on ballot questions: cost, low. Some topics cannot go on initiative or referendum ballots. Blocked items include the full city budget, short‑term borrowing, small appropriations under 1% of the budget, debt payments, money to carry out contracts or union agreements, and personnel actions. Internal rules, emergency measures, memor… - Citizen initiatives and referendums process: mixed, medium. To start an initiative, file a city form with signatures equal to 5% of registered voters and an affidavit by 10 voters. The Elections Department certifies within 14 days and the city solicitor advises within 21 days. The Council or School Committee has 60 days to act, or the measure is approved on… - Ranked-choice elections with public counting: mixed, medium. City Council and School Committee are elected at large using ranked choice voting. Regular city elections are held in November of odd-numbered years. A Director of Elections runs election operations and the Board sets a public central counting place with sworn staff. Ballots are different colors by… - Candidate filing and recount rules: mixed, low. To run, you must be a registered Cambridge voter, use a Board‑approved form, sign and notarize your statement before collecting signatures, and get at least 50 certified signatures. Nomination papers are available 18 weeks before the election and must be filed 14 weeks before by 5:00 PM. Papers not… - City powers and public engagement: mixed, low. Cambridge remains an official city and municipal corporation. The charter aims to use all powers that state law allows unless the law limits them. The city treats public engagement as core to good government and uses in‑person, online, and other ways to reach people. Departments are encouraged to w… - Pay and job limits for officials: mixed, low. Mayor and councillor pay is set by city law, and changes do not take effect in the year they are voted. School Committee pay, if set, needs a two‑thirds council vote; changes must be passed in the first 18 months and start after the next regular city election. Officials can be reimbursed only for a… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Marjorie C. Decker (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Mike Connolly (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Steven Owens (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-07-02 | committee | Committee Favorable: Ought to Pass | pass | 11 | 0 | | ## Actions (21) - 2025-09-16: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 27 of the Acts of 2025 - 2025-09-11: Enacted and laid before the Governor (Senate) - 2025-09-11: Enacted (House) - 2025-09-11: Senate concurred in the House further amendment (Senate) - 2025-09-11: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2025-09-11: House concurred in the Senate amendment with a further amendment (House) - 2025-09-08: Referred to the committee on Bills in the Third Reading (House) - 2025-09-08: Read third and passed to be engrossed (Senate) - 2025-09-08: Ordered to a third reading (Senate) - 2025-09-08: Amended (DiDomenico) by striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting in place thereof the text of S2598 (Senate) - 2025-09-08: Read second (Senate) - 2025-09-08: Taken out of the Orders of the Day (Senate) - 2025-08-14: Read; and placed in the Orders of the Day for the next session (Senate) - 2025-08-11: Read third and passed to be engrossed (House) - 2025-07-28: Read second and ordered to a third reading (House) - 2025-07-28: Rules suspended (House) - 2025-07-28: Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting (House) - 2025-07-16: Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling (House) - 2025-06-17: Hearing scheduled for 06/24/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-1 (legislature) - 2025-05-29: Senate concurred (Senate) - 2025-05-27: Referred to the committee on Municipalities and Regional Government (House) ## Bill text - Chapter 27 of the Acts of 2025, 2025-09-16: [PDF](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4156.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 27 of the Acts of 2025 (PDF)](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4156.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-H4156-194 (as of 2026-11-01).