Chapter 34B

Section 1. The government of each of the following counties, in this chapter called an ''abolished county'' is hereby abolished as of the following date, in this chapter called the ''transfer date'', or on such earlier date 30 days after the commissioner of revenue certifies in w…

Section 10. (a)(1) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, an abolished county's registers of deeds holding office immediately before the transfer date shall become employees of the commonwealth under the supervision of the secretary of the commonwealth on the…

Section 11. The rights of all employees of each registry of deeds of an abolished county and Hampshire county and the Suffolk and Berkshire county registries of deeds shall continue to be governed by the terms of collective bargaining agreements, as applicable, including employee…

Section 12. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the sheriff of an abolished county, including Franklin county, in office immediately before the transfer date, and, in Hampshire county, on September 1, 1998 shall become an employee of the …

Section 13. An employee of a sheriff of an abolished county, or of Hampshire county after August 31, 1998 shall be an ''employee'' or ''public employee'' as defined in section 1 of chapter 150E and the sheriff of such county shall be an ''employer'' or ''public employer'' as defi…

Section 14. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law or rule or regulation to the contrary, the sheriff, all deputies, jailers, superintendents, keepers, officers, assistants and other employees of the sheriff of an abolished county, employed immediately b…

Section 15. All officers and employees of an abolished county or of Hampshire county or of the Suffolk and Berkshire counties' registries of deeds transferred to the service of the commonwealth or a regional retirement system shall be transferred without impairment of seniority, …

Section 16. (a)(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, employees of an abolished county or of the Suffolk and Berkshire counties' registries of deeds who become state employees under this chapter and who are eligible for group insurance c…

Section 17. The amount of state education aid for an independent agricultural and technical school, established pursuant to chapter 74A, shall be supplemented, in the first fiscal year of establishment, with a state appropriation for 50 per cent of the local assessment required o…

Section 18. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, an abolished county's employees who retired on or before the transfer date, and such abolished county's inactive members, shall be members of the regional retirement system, which shall pay …

Section 19. Notwithstanding the provisions of chapter 32 or any general or special law to the contrary, the retirement system of a county abolished pursuant to this chapter, or abolished pursuant to chapter 151 of the acts of 1996, shall continue pursuant to this section and shal…

Section 19A. (a) The contributory retirement system for Essex county, operating under the terms of sections 1 to 28, inclusive, of chapter 32, shall be known as the Essex regional retirement system and all business shall be transacted under the name of the Essex regional retireme…

Section 2. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the government of each abolished county, except the office of county treasurer, is hereby abolished as of the transfer date for all purposes, including, but not limited to, the purposes estab…

Section 20. (a) A city or town within or contiguous to an abolished county or to be abolished county, which accepts the provisions of this section by vote of the city council with the approval of the chief executive officer or by vote of the town meeting or by vote of the board o…

Section 21. The secretary of administration and finance, in consultation with the comptroller, the state secretary, the judiciary, and such other departments of the commonwealth as may be necessary or appropriate, shall make such plans and arrangements as may be necessary to ensu…

Section 22. Notwithstanding the provisions any general or special law to the contrary, the municipalities of an abolished county shall be deemed to have accepted the provisions of section 147A of chapter 140, and shall enact by-laws to provide for the functions performed by the a…

Section 3. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the terms of an abolished county's commissioners shall expire upon the transfer date. There shall be no increase in the salaries of any abolished county's elected officials, prior to the tran…

Section 4. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, all functions, duties and responsibilities of an abolished county pursuant to this chapter including, but not limited to, the operation and management of the county jail and house of correcti…

Section 5. All valid liabilities and debts of an abolished county which are in force immediately before the transfer date shall be obligations of the commonwealth as of the transfer date, except as may be otherwise provided in this chapter. All assets, including revenue received …

Section 6. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, all rights, title and interest in real and personal property owned or held by an abolished county immediately before the transfer date, or owned or held by the Suffolk and Berkshire count…

Section 7. All valid leases and contracts of an abolished county which are in force immediately before the transfer date shall be obligations of the commonwealth as of the transfer date and the commonwealth shall have authority to exercise all rights and enjoy all interests confe…

Section 8. (a) For the purpose of recovering amounts expended by the commonwealth for the liabilities and other debts assumed and paid by the commonwealth on behalf of an abolished county, the secretary of administration and finance shall establish a plan to recover said amounts …

Section 9. The treasurer of an abolished county shall cooperate with the secretary of administration and finance in effecting the orderly transfer of assets, liabilities, personnel, functions, duties and responsibilities from an abolished county or from the Suffolk and Berkshire …