# Massachusetts H 4795: An Act amending the charter for the town of Groton Massachusetts H 4795, An Act amending the charter for the town of Groton, is a 194th General Court (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Margaret R. Scarsdale (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-10-05 (Signed by the Governor, Chapter 234 of the Acts of 2026) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4795-194 - 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 4795 - State: Massachusetts - Session: 194th General Court (2025-2026) - Title: An Act amending the charter for the town of Groton - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-11-26 - Last action: 2026-10-05, Signed by the Governor, Chapter 234 of the Acts of 2026 - Sponsor: Margaret R. Scarsdale (Democratic) - Cosponsors: 1 - 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: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Groton budget review becomes more public: benefit, low. After receiving the manager's proposed budget, Groton's Finance Committee must review department and agency spending in public meetings. It can request more information from the manager or town agencies. At least 14 days before spring Town Meeting opens, it must file its report with the town clerk.… - Groton voters get clearer meeting materials: benefit, low. Documents that Groton's charter requires to be published must appear online and in a prominent, accessible physical location. Paper copies must be available on request. For every Town Meeting, the town must publish the warrant—the meeting agenda—with a report explaining each article. Zoning article… - Groton removes an existing charter section: mixed, low. The law repeals section 5.6 of Groton's charter. The supplied text does not explain what that section covered. Its effect on residents or town operations cannot be determined from this provision alone. - Groton budget and capital deadlines shift: mixed, low. Groton's budget submission deadline changes from October 31 to November 30. The supplied text does not identify who must submit it. The capital improvement plan deadline changes from December 31 to January 31. These date changes do not state any change to household taxes or town services. - Groton manager leads operations and staffing: mixed, low. Groton's Town Manager is the chief administrator, responsible to the Select Board for managing town operations and enforcing town rules. The manager prepares the operating budget and capital improvement program, coordinates the annual report, and oversees records. The manager appoints and removes p… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Margaret R. Scarsdale (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Danillo A. Sena (Democratic), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-12-19 | committee | Committee Favorable: Ought to pass | pass | 11 | 0 | | ## Actions (15) - 2026-10-05: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 234 of the Acts of 2026 - 2026-09-28: Enacted and laid before the Governor (Senate) - 2026-09-28: Enacted (House) - 2026-09-24: Read third and passed to be engrossed (Senate) - 2026-09-24: Taken out of the Orders of the Day (Senate) - 2026-07-09: Read second and ordered to a third reading (Senate) - 2026-06-18: Read; and placed in the Orders of the Day for the next session (Senate) - 2026-06-15: Read third, amended and passed to be engrossed (House) - 2026-02-17: Read second and ordered to a third reading (House) - 2026-02-17: Rules suspended (House) - 2026-02-17: Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting (House) - 2026-01-20: Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling (House) - 2025-12-11: Hearing scheduled for 12/11/2025 from 03:00 PM-04:00 PM in Written Testimony Only (legislature) - 2025-12-01: Senate concurred (Senate) - 2025-11-26: Referred to the committee on Municipalities and Regional Government (House) ## Bill text - Chapter 234 of the Acts of 2026, 2026-10-05: [PDF](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4795.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 234 of the Acts of 2026 (PDF)](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4795.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-H4795-194 (as of 2026-11-01).