Following state legislative and regulatory processes can be elusive as each state puts its own twist on the procedure. The states each have their own set of resources set up to follow bills or proposed rules through the process. They often give access to their committee hearings, floor proceedings, state registers, fiscal statements , all bill versions and more. The trick is knowing where to look. This is part one of a six-part series covering legislative and regulatory processes and resources for the New England states.
Let’s start with Massachusetts – the home of Accufile. Below you will find links covering the most relevant legislative and regulatory resources. In addition, most state agencies in Massachusetts have a section on their websites devoted to Laws and Rules. You can often sign up for updates in order to stay informed of any proposed changes. In addition, Public Hearing notices will provide links to the proposed regulatory changes.
Legislation
You’ll find these legislative sources to be useful as you conduct research: Massachusetts Legislature, Massachusetts Bill Lookup, Massachusetts House Members, Massachusetts Senate Members, and the Legislative Process.
Fast Facts
- Schedule: The Massachusetts State Legislature is in Session biennially beginning the first Wednesday in January of odd-numbered years.
- Bill Signing Information: The Governor has 10 days to sign or veto legislation once it is transmitted. If a bill is transmitted to the Governor with less than 10 days left in the session, the governor can choose not to act. This results in a pocket veto.
- Effective Dates for Signed Legislation: An effective date is usually printed in the bill’s text. If this is not the case, the bill becomes effective 90 days after the Governor signs it or, if there is no signature, 90 days after adjournment.
- Carry-Over: Bills can be carried over from the odd-numbered year of a session to the even-numbered year.
Regulations
Note these important sources of regulatory information: The Massachusetts Register (in PDF form), the State Rulemaking Process, Public Hearing Notices for Review of Prospective Regulations, the Code of Massachusetts Regulations, Massachusetts Regulations by Subject, the Massachusetts Administrative Procedure Act, and the State Agency Directory
State News
Lastly, the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald are valuable sources for state news.
Related Posts
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many law firm libraries are finding that one of their biggest challenges during [...]
One of our favorite sessions at the 2021 American Association of Law Libraries virtual conference [...]
Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming a tool of the modern law firm. AI systems [...]