# Massachusetts H 4717: An Act relative to the annual town meeting for the town of Orange

Massachusetts H 4717, An Act relative to the annual town meeting for the town of Orange, is a 194th General Court (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Joanne M. Comerford (Democratic), Susannah M. Whipps (Independent); status signed, last action 2026-05-12 (Signed by the Governor, Chapter 78 of the Acts of 2026) (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4717-194
- 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 4717
- State: Massachusetts
- Session: 194th General Court (2025-2026)
- Title: An Act relative to the annual town meeting for the town of Orange
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-11-06
- Last action: 2026-05-12, Signed by the Governor, Chapter 78 of the Acts of 2026
- Sponsors: Joanne M. Comerford (Democratic), Susannah M. Whipps (Independent)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Municipalities and Regional Government, House Steering, Policy and Scheduling
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 1 (11 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Orange sets annual town meeting date: mixed, low. The Town of Orange holds its annual town meeting on the second Monday in May. This fixed date applies every year and replaces earlier local rules. The law takes effect upon passage.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Joanne M. Comerford (Democratic), Senate
- Sponsor: Susannah M. Whipps (Independent), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-11-25 | committee | Committee Favorable: Ought to pass | pass | 11 | 0 |   |

## Actions (15)

- 2026-05-12: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 78 of the Acts of 2026
- 2026-05-04: Enacted and laid before the Governor (Senate)
- 2026-05-04: Enacted (House)
- 2026-04-30: Read third (title changed) and passed to be engrossed (Senate)
- 2026-04-30: Taken out of the Orders of the Day (Senate)
- 2026-02-12: Read second and ordered to a third reading (Senate)
- 2026-01-20: Read; and placed in the Orders of the Day for the next session (Senate)
- 2026-01-15: Read third, amended and passed to be engrossed (House)
- 2025-12-22: Read second and ordered to a third reading (House)
- 2025-12-22: Rules suspended (House)
- 2025-12-22: Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting (House)
- 2025-12-08: Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling (House)
- 2025-11-17: Hearing scheduled for 11/17/2025 from 10:00 AM-05:00 PM in Written Testimony Only (legislature)
- 2025-11-10: Senate concurred (Senate)
- 2025-11-06: Referred to the committee on Municipalities and Regional Government (House)

## Bill text

- Chapter 78 of the Acts of 2026, 2026-05-12: [PDF](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4717.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 78 of the Acts of 2026 (PDF)](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4717.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-H4717-194 (as of 2026-11-01).