# Massachusetts H 4362: An Act authorizing the town of Westford to release agricultural preservation restrictions over land owned by Westford Gateway, LLC Massachusetts H 4362, An Act authorizing the town of Westford to release agricultural preservation restrictions over land owned by Westford Gateway, LLC, is a 194th General Court (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by House Committee on Ways and Means; status signed, last action 2025-11-26 (Signed by the Governor, Chapter 75 of the Acts of 2025) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4362-194 - 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 4362 - State: Massachusetts - Session: 194th General Court (2025-2026) - Title: An Act authorizing the town of Westford to release agricultural preservation restrictions over land owned by Westford Gateway, LLC - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-07-30 - Last action: 2025-11-26, Signed by the Governor, Chapter 75 of the Acts of 2025 - Sponsor: House Committee on Ways and Means - Cosponsors: 2 - Subjects: House Ways and Means, Senate Ways and Means, Bills in the Third Reading - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (172 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Westford gets 110% to replace protected land: benefit, low. MassDOT must pay the town money instead of giving replacement land. The payment is at least 110% of the greater of the land’s fair market value or its value in use, set by an independent appraisal. Westford must deposit the money into its Community Preservation Fund and use it within 3 years. The t… - Limited release of farm protections for roadwork: mixed, low. Westford can release farm-protection limits only on the small areas that MassDOT takes for the Boston Road project, as shown on filed plans. All other agricultural preservation limits on the property stay in force. All parcels used for the project must be restored to their condition before construc… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: House Committee on Ways and Means - Cosponsor: James Arciero (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: John J. Cronin (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-11-19 | House | Enacted | pass | 156 | 0 | | | 2025-11-13 | committee | Committee Favorable with Amendment: Ought to pass with an amendment - New Text | pass | 16 | 0 | 2 | ## Actions (20) - 2025-11-26: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 75 of the Acts of 2025 - 2025-11-19: Laid before the Governor (Senate) - 2025-11-19: Enacted -see Roll Call #115 (Yeas 37 to Nays 0) (Senate) - 2025-11-19: Enacted - 156 YEAS to 0 NAYS (See YEA and NAY No. 115) (House) - 2025-11-19: House concurred in the Senate amendment (House) - 2025-11-19: Referred to the committee on Bills in the Third Reading (House) - 2025-11-19: Read third and passed to be engrossed (Senate) - 2025-11-19: Taken out of the Orders of the Day (Senate) - 2025-11-17: Ordered to a third reading (Senate) - 2025-11-17: Amended by striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting in place thereof the text of S2723 (Senate) - 2025-11-17: Read second (Senate) - 2025-11-17: Rules suspended (Senate) - 2025-11-17: Committee recommended ought to pass with an amendment striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting in place thereof the text of S2723 (Senate) - 2025-08-04: Read; and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means (Senate) - 2025-07-31: Read third and passed to be engrossed (House) - 2025-07-31: Rules suspended (House) - 2025-07-30: Ordered to a third reading (House) - 2025-07-30: New draft of H3282 (House) - 2025-07-30: Pending new draft of H3282 (House) - 2025-07-30: Reported from the committee on House Ways and Means (House) ## Bill text - Chapter 75 of the Acts of 2025, 2025-11-26: [PDF](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4362.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 5429: An Act providing injured on duty compensation to Chelmsford firefighter Nicholas Spinale (second reading) - H 5520: An Act exempting George Patrinos from the maximum age requirement age for the position of firefighter in the town of Dudley (signed) ## Sources - [Chapter 75 of the Acts of 2025 (PDF)](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4362.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 5429: An Act providing injured on duty compensation to Chelmsford firefighter Nichola…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5429-194) - [H 5520: An Act exempting George Patrinos from the maximum age requirement age for the p…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5520-194) - [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-H4362-194 (as of 2026-11-01).