# Massachusetts H 4569: An Act relative to the temporary absence of the town manager in the city known as the town of Bridgewater

Massachusetts H 4569, An Act relative to the temporary absence of the town manager in the city known as the town of Bridgewater, is a 194th General Court (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Thomas P. Walsh (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-02-12 (Signed by the Governor, Chapter 22 of the Acts of 2026) (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4569-194
- 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 4569
- State: Massachusetts
- Session: 194th General Court (2025-2026)
- Title: An Act relative to the temporary absence of the town manager in the city known as the town of Bridgewater
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-09-29
- Last action: 2026-02-12, Signed by the Governor, Chapter 22 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

- Bridgewater sets backup for town manager: benefit, low. When the Town Manager is away for up to 21 straight days, the Assistant Town Manager does the job. If the Assistant cannot serve, the Town Manager must name a department head and file a letter with the Town Clerk and Town Council. If no one is named, or the designee cannot serve or is not qualified…
- Bridgewater voters must approve change: mixed, low. This law takes effect only if most Bridgewater voters approve it. If a majority does not approve, none of the changes take effect.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Thomas P. Walsh (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Dennis C. Gallagher (Democratic), House

## Actions (9)

- 2026-02-12: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 22 of the Acts of 2026
- 2026-02-09: Enacted and laid before the Governor (Senate)
- 2026-02-09: Enacted (House)
- 2026-02-05: Read third (title changed) and passed to be engrossed (Senate)
- 2026-02-05: Taken out of the Orders of the Day (Senate)
- 2025-10-23: Read second and ordered to a third reading (Senate)
- 2025-10-02: Read; and placed in the Orders of the Day for the next session (Senate)
- 2025-09-29: Passed to be engrossed (House)
- 2025-09-29: Substituted for H2269 (House)

## Bill text

- Chapter 22 of the Acts of 2026, 2026-02-12: [PDF](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4569.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 22 of the Acts of 2026 (PDF)](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4569.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-H4569-194 (as of 2026-11-01).