Chapter 4

Section 1. A statute enacted by the general court which may be made the subject of a referendum petition and which is declared therein to be an emergency law, unless otherwise expressly provided therein, shall take effect as soon as it has the force of a law conformably to the co…

Section 10. At two o'clock ante-meridian of the last Sunday in April of each year, the standard time in this commonwealth shall be advanced one hour, and at two o'clock ante-meridian of the last Sunday in October of each year the standard time in this commonwealth shall, by the r…

Section 11. Marginal references to statutes shall refer to general acts, unless otherwise expressly noted.

Section 12. Establishment, cancellation or change of enrollment in a political party shall, for the purposes of any law establishing or limiting the number of members of any board, commission or other body who shall or may be members of any political party or the same political p…

Section 13. (a) As used in this section, ''statewide website'' shall mean a website established and maintained as a repository for legal notices and operated as a cooperative effort of a majority of Massachusetts newspapers that distribute newspapers to subscribers residing in th…

Section 1A. Any plan presented to the general court by the governor, purporting to be a reorganization plan as provided for under Article LXXXVII of the amendments to the constitution, which does not contain a bill in which is incorporated such amendments of general and special l…

Section 2. A resolve, unless otherwise expressly provided therein, shall take effect as soon as it has the force of a law conformably to the constitution.

Section 2A. Unless otherwise provided, the provisions of this section shall apply to each special commission established to make an investigation and study of any matter. If it is provided that members of the senate and house of representatives shall be members of such commission…

Section 3. The enacting style of all measures submitted to the people in pursuance of an initiative petition for a law shall be: Be it enacted by the People, and by their authority.

Section 4. Wherever a statute is to take effect upon its acceptance by a municipality or district, or is to be effective in municipalities or districts accepting its provisions, this acceptance shall be, except as otherwise provided in that statute, in a municipality, by vote of …

Section 4A. At any time after the expiration of three years from the date on which any special act of the general court has been accepted by the voters of a town, and not less than ninety days before the date of an annual meeting, a petition signed by not less than ten per cent o…

Section 4B. At any time after the expiration of three years from the date on which a law to take effect upon its acceptance by a city or town or a municipality as defined in section four, or is to be effective in such cities, towns or municipalities accepting its provisions, has …

Section 5. If a statute is to take effect upon action by a body politic or corporate or by any board or officer of such a body, or to become or cease to be operative, in whole or in so far as it affects such a body, upon action as aforesaid, a return of the result of any action s…

Section 6. In construing statutes the following rules shall be observed, unless their observance would involve a construction inconsistent with the manifest intent of the law-making body or repugnant to the context of the same statute: First, The repeal of a statute shall not rev…

Section 7. In construing statutes the following words shall have the meanings herein given, unless a contrary intention clearly appears: First, "Aldermen'', "board of aldermen'', "mayor and aldermen'', "city council'' or "mayor'' shall, in a city which has no such body or officer…

Amended by 1931, 394, Sec. 182 into a special act

Section 8. In construing any special act authorizing a city, town or district to incur indebtedness for a specified purpose to a limited amount, such limitation of amount shall be deemed to apply only to the indebtedness authorized by the special act, and not to affect any other …

Section 9. Except as otherwise provided, when the day or the last day for the performance of any act, including the making of any payment or tender of payment, authorized or required by statute or by contract, falls on Sunday or a legal holiday, the act may, unless it is specific…

Section 9A. In any written instrument, a recital that such instrument is sealed by or bears the seal of the person signing the same or is given under the hand and seal of the person signing the same, or that such instrument is intended to take effect as a sealed instrument, shall…

Section 9B. The impression or stamping of the established seal of a court, public office, public officer or corporation upon a paper shall be taken and held to be the seal of such court, public office, public officer or corporation, and valid in law to the same extent that an imp…