# Massachusetts H 4459: An Act amending the charter of the town of Seekonk

Massachusetts H 4459, An Act amending the charter of the town of Seekonk, is a 194th General Court (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Thomas P. Walsh (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-01-29 (Signed by the Governor, Chapter 8 of the Acts of 2026) (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4459-194
- 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 4459
- State: Massachusetts
- Session: 194th General Court (2025-2026)
- Title: An Act amending the charter of the town of Seekonk
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-08-28
- Last action: 2026-01-29, Signed by the Governor, Chapter 8 of the Acts of 2026
- Sponsor: Thomas P. Walsh (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Touches household money: no
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Select Board name and inclusive language: benefit, low. The law renames the “Board of Selectmen” to “Select Board” across the charter. It replaces gendered words with gender‑neutral or role‑specific terms, like changing “himself” to “themself.” These are text updates only. They do not change powers, duties, or costs.
- Town Administrator powers and removal rules: mixed, low. The law strengthens the Town Administrator as the town’s day-to-day executive. The Administrator supervises departments under their control, enforces laws and by-laws, and attends all Select Board and Town Meetings (voice, no vote). They keep the Select Board and Finance Committee informed on town…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Thomas P. Walsh (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Steven S. Howitt (Republican), House

## Actions (9)

- 2026-01-29: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 8 of the Acts of 2026
- 2026-01-20: Enacted and laid before the Governor (Senate)
- 2026-01-20: Enacted (House)
- 2026-01-15: Read third and passed to be engrossed (Senate)
- 2026-01-15: Taken out of the Orders of the Day (Senate)
- 2025-10-16: Read second and ordered to a third reading (Senate)
- 2025-09-02: Read; and placed in the Orders of the Day for the next session (Senate)
- 2025-08-28: Passed to be engrossed (House)
- 2025-08-28: Substituted for H3913 (House)

## Bill text

- Chapter 8 of the Acts of 2026, 2026-01-29: [PDF](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4459.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 8 of the Acts of 2026 (PDF)](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4459.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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4459-194 (as of 2026-11-01).