# Massachusetts S 2596: An Act relative to maintenance of private roads in the city of Gloucester

Massachusetts S 2596, An Act relative to maintenance of private roads in the city of Gloucester, is a 194th General Court (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by Ann-Margaret Ferrante (Democratic), Bruce E. Tarr (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-05-08 (Signed by the Governor, Chapter 75 of the Acts of 2026); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-S2596-194
- As of: 2026-11-01
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Massachusetts S 2596
- State: Massachusetts
- Session: 194th General Court (2025-2026)
- Title: An Act relative to maintenance of private roads in the city of Gloucester
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-09-02
- Last action: 2026-05-08, Signed by the Governor, Chapter 75 of the Acts of 2026
- Sponsors: Ann-Margaret Ferrante (Democratic), Bruce E. Tarr (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: Municipalities and Regional Government, House Steering, Policy and Scheduling
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 1 (5 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Gloucester funds upkeep on some private roads: mixed, low. The law lets Gloucester spend public money to maintain, repair, and improve some private roads. A road qualifies only if it serves at least 10 homes that pay Gloucester property tax. It must connect two roads and lead to a public place, like a park, community center, or mixed‑use area. It cannot be…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Ann-Margaret Ferrante (Democratic), House
- Sponsor: Bruce E. Tarr (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-11-10 | committee | Committee Favorable: Ought to pass | pass | 5 | 0 |   |

## Actions (15)

- 2026-05-08: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 75 of the Acts of 2026
- 2026-04-30: Enacted and laid before the Governor (Senate)
- 2026-04-29: Enacted (House)
- 2026-04-28: Read third and passed to be engrossed (House)
- 2026-03-09: Read second and ordered to a third reading (House)
- 2026-03-09: Rules suspended (House)
- 2026-03-09: Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting (House)
- 2026-02-11: Read; and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling (House)
- 2026-02-09: Read third (title changed) and passed to be engrossed (Senate)
- 2026-02-09: Taken out of the Orders of the Day (Senate)
- 2026-01-15: Read second and ordered to a third reading (Senate)
- 2025-11-13: Bill reported favorably by committee and placed in the Orders of the Day for the next session (Senate)
- 2025-09-23: Hearing scheduled for 09/23/2025 from 02:00 PM-02:00 PM in Written Testimony Only (legislature)
- 2025-09-04: House concurred (House)
- 2025-09-02: Referred to the committee on Municipalities and Regional Government (Senate)

## Bill text

- Chapter 75 of the Acts of 2026, 2026-05-08: [PDF](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S2596.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 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)
- H 5520: An Act exempting George Patrinos from the maximum age requirement age for the position of firefighter in the town of Dudley (signed)

## Sources
- [Chapter 75 of the Acts of 2026 (PDF)](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S2596.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 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)
- [H 5520: An Act exempting George Patrinos from the maximum age requirement age for the p…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5520-194)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-S2596-194 (as of 2026-11-01).