# Massachusetts H 4556: An Act authorizing the town of Avon to appoint a town clerk

Massachusetts H 4556, An Act authorizing the town of Avon to appoint a town clerk, is a 194th General Court (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Thomas P. Walsh (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-01-30 (Signed by the Governor, Chapter 13 of the Acts of 2026) (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4556-194
- 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 4556
- State: Massachusetts
- Session: 194th General Court (2025-2026)
- Title: An Act authorizing the town of Avon to appoint a town clerk
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-09-25
- Last action: 2026-01-30, Signed by the Governor, Chapter 13 of the Acts of 2026
- Sponsor: Thomas P. Walsh (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Touches household money: no
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Avon moves to appointed town clerk: mixed, low. The law changes Avon’s town clerk from elected to appointed. The select board appoints a clerk for a 3-year term. The clerk keeps vital records and the town seal, gives oaths, serves as clerk of town meeting, issues licenses and permits, and runs elections. The clerk also holds any other powers giv…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Thomas P. Walsh (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Michael D. Brady (Democratic), Senate
- Cosponsor: William C. Galvin (Democratic), House

## Actions (9)

- 2026-01-30: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 13 of the Acts of 2026
- 2026-01-22: Enacted and laid before the Governor (Senate)
- 2026-01-22: Enacted (House)
- 2026-01-20: Read third (title changed) and passed to be engrossed (Senate)
- 2026-01-20: Taken out of the Orders of the Day (Senate)
- 2025-10-23: Read second and ordered to a third reading (Senate)
- 2025-09-29: Read; and placed in the Orders of the Day for the next session (Senate)
- 2025-09-25: Passed to be engrossed (House)
- 2025-09-25: Substituted for H2270 (House)

## Bill text

- Chapter 13 of the Acts of 2026, 2026-01-30: [PDF](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4556.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 13 of the Acts of 2026 (PDF)](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4556.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)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4556-194 (as of 2026-11-01).