# Massachusetts H 4542: An Act relative to making the charter of the city of Chicopee gender neutral Massachusetts H 4542, An Act relative to making the charter of the city of Chicopee gender neutral, is a 194th General Court (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Thomas P. Walsh (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-10 (Signed by the Governor, Chapter 56 of the Acts of 2026); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4542-194 - 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 4542 - State: Massachusetts - Session: 194th General Court (2025-2026) - Title: An Act relative to making the charter of the city of Chicopee gender neutral - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-09-18 - Last action: 2026-04-10, Signed by the Governor, Chapter 56 of the Acts of 2026 - Sponsor: Thomas P. Walsh (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 2 - Touches household money: yes - Economic provisions PRIA read: 18 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - City council meetings and oversight: benefit, low. Council meetings are public and a journal is open to view. The council elects a president, who can be removed by a two‑thirds vote. Special meetings need at least 24 hours’ notice and usually stick to listed topics. The City Clerk keeps council records and enters ordinances in a public book. When a… - Health, welfare, and library staffing: benefit, low. The Board of Health appoints an Agent each year who is not a board member. Public Library Trustees serve without pay and appoint librarians who are not trustees. The Board of Public Welfare appoints a City Physician and a Welfare Agent each year. Appointees may be removed for cause, and the council… - Mayor picks police and fire leaders: benefit, low. The city may set up Police and Fire Departments by ordinance. The mayor appoints the chief and all officers, and can remove them under set rules. The council sets pay and rules by ordinance. The police chief must post a bond if the council requires it. This makes leadership and accountability for p… - Public works and city property control: benefit, low. The Superintendent of Streets handles street and road duties under state‑law powers. Water Commissioners appoint a Water Superintendent each year for a one‑year term starting the first Monday in March. Cemetery Commissioners run city cemeteries and may appoint a Superintendent. A board of City Prop… - Special state acts still apply: benefit, low. Powers and duties given to Chicopee by special state acts stay in force unless this charter clearly changes them. This keeps existing rights and obligations in place. - Stronger budget rules and timelines: benefit, low. Departments must send itemized budget estimates by the first Monday in January. The mayor, council president, and treasurer send recommendations to the council by March 1. The council sets the city budget in March, and the city cannot spend money without an appropriation. Any spending item over $20… - No self-dealing in city contracts: benefit, low. The Mayor, officers, and board members who can spend city money cannot make contracts with themselves or fellow members. The Council can allow an exception only by vote with the Mayor’s approval. Deals made against this rule are void, except the city may pay necessary small expenses. - New school committee makeup and terms: benefit, low. The School Committee includes the Mayor as chair, two at‑large members, and one member from each ward. At‑large members serve four‑year terms, with one elected every two years. Ward members serve two‑year terms. - School leadership and budgets: benefit, low. The School Committee appoints a Superintendent each year and sets the salary. The Superintendent cannot be a committee member and may be removed for cause. By the first Monday in January, the Committee sends a detailed school budget estimate to the mayor. The Committee also handles repairs to schoo… - City offices require citizenship and residency: cost, low. Most city offices require U.S. citizenship and at least two years of Chicopee residency. The Superintendent of Schools, City Solicitor, and City Engineer do not have to meet the two‑year residency rule. - New rules and costs for property owners: mixed, medium. If the city builds a sidewalk next to your land, you pay 50% of the cost, split among adjacent owners. Inside city fire limits, building size, location, and materials must meet city rules that follow state law. The city can lay out, alter, or close streets and assess damages; affected owners can ap… - Stricter rules for city contracts: mixed, low. Departments can hire, remove staff, and make needed contracts for work and supplies. The mayor must issue a written order before any permanent improvement starts. Contracts of $200 or more must be in writing and approved by the mayor. Contracts of $1,000 or more must include a bond or other securit… - City Council roles and limits: mixed, low. Each January, the Council elects a City Auditor, Collector, and Messenger for one‑year terms starting the first Monday in February. It also elects one Assessor, one Board of Health member, and one library trustee for three‑year terms; one health board member must be a doctor. If a council seat open… - Hiring, removal, and pay rules for officers: mixed, low. The mayor appoints many city officers on a set January schedule. Appointees must accept in writing and take an oath within 7 days. If the mayor or a board removes an officer, the reason must be filed with the Clerk and served on the officer; the seat then becomes vacant. Offices become vacant if th… - How Chicopee votes and is represented: mixed, low. Chicopee has nine wards, and never fewer than seven. City elections are on the first Tuesday in November. The municipal year starts at 10:00 a.m. on the first Monday in January, when officials are sworn in. Voters elect the mayor, clerk, treasurer, council, and school committee by ballot. The counc… - Mayor’s powers and veto checks: mixed, low. The mayor holds the city’s executive power and may act directly or through city officers. Most council measures go to the mayor for approval. The mayor can veto or strike specific spending items, but the council can override by a two‑thirds vote. If the mayor takes no action in 10 days, the measure… - Old charter repealed, rights kept: mixed, low. The law repeals Chicopee’s 1897 charter and any acts that conflict with the new charter. It keeps acts already done, rights already earned, pending cases, and current officeholders’ terms. By‑laws and ordinances that do not conflict stay in force until the Council repeals them. - Rules for mayor powers and vacancies: mixed, low. The Mayor appoints most city officers and can remove them for cause after a hearing. If the Mayor is disabled, the Council President, or if absent the Treasurer, serves as acting Mayor. The acting Mayor cannot appoint or remove officers unless the disability lasts 30 days and the Council allows it.… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Thomas P. Walsh (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jacob R. Oliveira (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Shirley B. Arriaga (Democratic), House ## Actions (8) - 2026-04-10: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 56 of the Acts of 2026 - 2026-04-02: Enacted and laid before the Governor (Senate) - 2026-04-02: Enacted (House) - 2026-03-30: Read third (title changed) and passed to be engrossed (Senate) - 2026-03-30: Taken out of the Orders of the Day (Senate) - 2025-09-22: Read, rules suspended, read second and ordered to a third reading (Senate) - 2025-09-18: Passed to be engrossed (House) - 2025-09-18: Substituted for H2244 (House) ## Bill text - Chapter 56 of the Acts of 2026, 2026-04-10: [PDF](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4542.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 4755: An Act amending the means tested senior citizen property tax exemption in the town of Sudbury (signed) - 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) ## Sources - [Chapter 56 of the Acts of 2026 (PDF)](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4542.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 4755: An Act amending the means tested senior citizen property tax exemption in the t…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4755-194) - [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) - [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-H4542-194 (as of 2026-11-01).