# Massachusetts S 3018: An Act authorizing the town of Berkley to recall elected officials

Massachusetts S 3018, An Act authorizing the town of Berkley to recall elected officials, is a 194th General Court (2025-2026) Senate bill sponsored by Kelly A. Dooner (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-06-10 (Signed by the Governor, Chapter 97 of the Acts of 2026) (as of 2026-11-01).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-S3018-194
- 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 3018
- State: Massachusetts
- Session: 194th General Court (2025-2026)
- Title: An Act authorizing the town of Berkley to recall elected officials
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-04-06
- Last action: 2026-06-10, Signed by the Governor, Chapter 97 of the Acts of 2026
- Sponsor: Kelly A. Dooner (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: House Steering, Policy and Scheduling
- Touches household money: no
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- How Berkley voters start a recall: benefit, low. This law lets Berkley voters recall local elected officials. You cannot start a recall in the first 6 months after an officer takes office or in the last 6 months of the term. A group of 25 registered voters files an affidavit with the town clerk naming the officer and the reasons. After the regist…
- How the Berkley recall vote works: benefit, low. If a petition meets the rules, the clerk sends the officer a certified notice with copies. The officer has 5 days to resign; if not, within 2 business days the clerk notifies the board of selectmen to order a recall election. The election must be within 90 days of the clerk’s notice, and the date m…
- Two-year appointment ban after recall: cost, low. If you are recalled, or you resign while a recall is pending, you cannot be appointed to any Berkley town office for 2 years after the removal or resignation.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Kelly A. Dooner (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Norman J. Orrall (Republican), House

## Actions (10)

- 2026-06-10: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 97 of the Acts of 2026
- 2026-06-04: Enacted and laid before the Governor (Senate)
- 2026-06-03: Enacted (House)
- 2026-06-01: Read third and passed to be engrossed (House)
- 2026-05-04: Read second and ordered to a third reading (House)
- 2026-05-04: Rules suspended (House)
- 2026-05-04: Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting (House)
- 2026-04-09: Read; and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling (House)
- 2026-04-06: Passed to be engrossed (Senate)
- 2026-04-06: New draft (Dooner) of S2552 (Senate)

## Bill text

- Chapter 97 of the Acts of 2026, 2026-06-10: [PDF](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S3018.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 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 97 of the Acts of 2026 (PDF)](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S3018.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 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-S3018-194 (as of 2026-11-01).