reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 34a § 6 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VI - Counties and County Officers|Chapter 34a - County Charter Procedures|Section 6 - Members of Charter Commission; Boundaries of Election Districts

Section 6. (A.) A charter commission shall consist of fifteen registered voters of such county elected by official ballot, without party or political designation, at an election held in accordance with relevant provisions of general law and this chapter. In addition, each county commissioner, or his designee, and the chairman of the county advisory board, or his designee, shall be non-elected members of the charter commission. In order to take into account widely differing population sizes of counties, charter commission members shall be elected at large or individually by district or both as follows: where the inhabitants of a county number less than fifty thousand persons, the election of all charter commission members in such county shall be at large; where the inhabitants of a county number at least fifty thousand but less than two hundred thousand persons, five charter commission members shall be elected at large and ten shall be elected by district; where the inhabitants of a county number two hundred thousand persons or more, the election of all charter commission members shall be by district.  The boundaries of the districts, for the purposes of electing charter commission members, shall be determined by the state secretary; not later than June first of the year in which members are to be elected, by dividing the county into districts of contiguous territory so that each representative shall represent an equal number of inhabitants, as nearly as may be.  Such districts shall also be so formed that no town containing less than six thousand inhabitants shall be divided.  (B.) For the purpose of this section, population shall be determined from the latest federal census. The names of the at-large candidates and the names of the candidates from each district nominated in accordance with section five shall be placed on such ballot in alphabetical order, preceded by the instruction in subsection A of section four.  (C.) The provisions of chapter fifty-four regarding votes on amendments to the constitution shall govern the canvassing and counting of votes on the question and the custody and disposition of ballots and related records.  (D.) The secretary shall provide a thirty day comment and review period prior to a final determination of district boundaries.
MA Gen L ch 34a § 7 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VI - Counties and County Officers|Chapter 34a - County Charter Procedures|Section 7 - First Meeting; Officers; Vacancies; Expenses

Section 7. The commission member who received the highest number of votes shall convene the first meeting of the charter commission as soon as possible but in no event later than fifteen days after certification of the results of the state election by the governor and governor's council. If said member does not act, the state secretary shall designate another member of the charter commission to convene the first meeting. At that meeting the charter commission shall promptly organize by the election from among its members of a chairman, a vice chairman, a treasurer and a clerk and shall file a notice of such organization with the secretary of the commonwealth. If no notice of organization is received by the state secretary within twenty-four days after the organizational meeting he shall designate a charter commission for such purpose. A charter commission shall continue to exist until thirty days after the election at which its charter adoption or revision proposal, if any, is required to be submitted to the voters under this chapter or until thirty days after submission to the state secretary of a final report recommending no new charter or revision.  If any member dies, resigns or ceases to be a registered voter of such county or the district of such county from which such member was elected, or if there is a failure to elect any member, the remaining members of the charter commission shall fill the vacancy by choosing a registered voter of such county or district, respectively. The commission may continue to act notwithstanding the existence of any vacancy. Members shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed from the commission's account for expenses lawfully incurred by them in the performance of their duties.
MA Gen L ch 34a § 8 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VI - Counties and County Officers|Chapter 34a - County Charter Procedures|Section 8 - Function of Commission

Section 8. It shall be the function and duty of the charter commission to study the form of government of the county, to compare it with other forms available under the laws of this state, to determine whether or not in its judgment the government of the county could be strengthened, made more clearly responsive or accountable to the people or whether its operation could be more economical or efficient, under a changed form of government.
MA Gen L ch 34a § 10 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VI - Counties and County Officers|Chapter 34a - County Charter Procedures|Section 10 - Nonvoting Members

Section 10. (A.) In any county in which a charter commission has been established under this chapter, the members of the advisory board on county expenditures shall have the right to participate in the deliberations of the charter commission, but without the right to vote; except the chairman of the advisory board on county expenditures as provided in section six, on commission recommendations or to endorse or dissent from any report of the commission by virtue of their official advisory role, although this shall in no way be deemed to inhibit their comments as individuals after release of the charter commission report, or as an elected member of a charter commission.  (B.) The secretary of administration or his designee shall serve ex-officio as nonvoting advisor on all charter commissions established under this chapter. It shall be his duty to collect, evaluate and transmit to each commission such information, advice, plans, and policies as he may deem pertinent to county government and its relationship to the state and municipal government. He shall meet with the commission as frequently as the commission shall request in order to assist the commission in determining the best form to recommend for the county's government.
MA Gen L ch 34a § 11 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VI - Counties and County Officers|Chapter 34a - County Charter Procedures|Section 11 - Public Hearings; Reports; Publication of Proposed Charter

Section 11. (A.) The charter commission shall hold public hearings, sponsor public forums and otherwise provide for the widest possible dissemination of information and the stimulation of public discussion respecting the purposes and progress of its work.  (B.) The charter commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the citizens of the county on or before the eighteenth calendar month next following the date of its election in the form of a final report which it shall file with the county clerk who shall distribute it to all elected county and municipal officials, all members of the counties' legislative delegation, and the state secretary.  In addition, there shall be printed and made available at least ninety days before the election at cost to the public at large, a number of copies equal to at least one-tenth of one per cent of the county's registered voters.  The commission shall publish in two newspapers of known general circulation within said county on two successive weeks the full text of the proposed charter, together with a summary of its findings and recommendations, a summary of the provisions of the plan, if any, which it recommends for approval, and an analysis of and commentary on such plans.
MA Gen L ch 34a § 12 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VI - Counties and County Officers|Chapter 34a - County Charter Procedures|Section 12 - Report and Recommendation; Findings and Determinations

Section 12. (A.) The charter study commission may report and recommend:  (i) That a referendum be held to submit to the voters of the county the question of adopting one of the optional forms of the government set forth in sections seventeen, eighteen, and nineteen of this chapter that the commission has designated; or (ii) That the charter commission shall petition the legislature for the enactment of a special charter, the text of which shall be appended to the charter commission's report; or (iii) That the form of government of the county remain unchanged; or (iv) That any or any combination of the following changes be made: (a) that the present form of county government be abolished and which, if any, county agencies or operations should be placed under another state, local or regional governmental system; or (b) that part of the present form of county government be abolished and which, if any, county agencies or operations should remain as part of county government and which should be abolished, changed or placed under another governmental system; or (c) that all or some of the county agencies or operations be taken over by the state or allowed to exist as part of a regional system.  The commission may also draft and submit to the commissioners whatever recommendations it deems appropriate for the efficient administration of the county. Such recommendations may include a model administrative code. Such recommendations may be adopted by the commissioners in whole or in part whether or not a new charter is recommended by the commission or approved by the voters.  (B.) If the charter commission shall vote to recommend adoption of one of the optional forms set forth in sections seventeen, eighteen, and nineteen of this chapter, it shall also consider and make findings with respect to each of the three subjects set forth below, and determine which plan would provide the best representation of the people of the county. The final report shall set forth said findings and determinations in detail.  (i) Commissioners, number and term. The commission shall make recommendations as to changes if any in the number and terms of service of the county commissioners.  (ii) The commission shall recommend either a continuation of the present system of nonconcurrent terms or the adoption of a new system of concurrent terms.  (iii) Constituencies. The commission can recommend that the commissioners be elected at large or that they be elected by districts.
MA Gen L ch 34a § 13 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VI - Counties and County Officers|Chapter 34a - County Charter Procedures|Section 13 - Optional Forms of Government, Referendum; Special Charter, Enabling Legislation

Section 13. (A) If the charter commission shall have recommended the adoption of one of the optional forms of government authorized by this chapter, the charter commission shall notify the state secretary by the first Wednesday in August to place the following referendum question on the election ballot:  ''Shall the (designate the caption of section ___ of the County Charter Procedures Act) be adopted for ___ county, with the provision for a board of commissioners of ___ members elected for (concurrent or non-concurrent as the case may be) terms and elected (at large, or from districts)?''  The question shall appear on the ballot at the next biennial state election. At such election, the referendum question shall appear on the ballot in the same manner as other public questions are printed on the ballot. The attorney general shall prepare the summary to accompany such question.  (B) If the charter commission shall have proposed a special charter, it shall be the duty of the commission to petition the legislature forthwith for a special law or laws, pursuant to the state constitution and in the manner provided by general enabling legislation thereunder, to carry out the recommendations of the charter commission.  Upon enactment of such enabling legislation, the special charter shall be submitted to the voters of the petitioning county for adoption in a manner provided in subsection (A), or as may otherwise be appropriate. No special charter shall become operative unless approved by a majority of all votes cast on the question.  (C) If the charter commission shall have proposed any recommendations pursuant to clause (iv) of the first paragraph of subsection (A) of section twelve, it shall be the duty of the commission to petition the legislature forthwith for a special law or laws pursuant to the state constitution and in the manner provided by general enabling legislation thereunder, to carry out such recommendations of the charter commission, provided, that upon enactment of such enabling legislation, the legislation implementing such recommendations shall be submitted to the voters of the petitioning county for adoption in a manner provided in said subsection (A) or as may otherwise be appropriate. No such legislation shall become effective until approved by a majority of all votes cast on the question of adoption.
MA Gen L ch 34a § 14 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VI - Counties and County Officers|Chapter 34a - County Charter Procedures|Section 14 - Petitions for Adoption or Revision of Charters

Section 14. (a) The charter may be revised in the same manner as provided for in its original adoption by section three.  (b) A petition for the adoption or revision of a charter shall conform with the requirements of subsection (c) and shall have a sentence in substantially the following form at the top of each page.  Each of the undersigned requests that the county revise its present charter or adopt a new charter, and each of the undersigned certifies that he is a registered voter of said county whose residence addresses at the times set forth below were as shown below, and that he has not signed this petition more than once.  (c) The state secretary shall prescribe the form of all petitions under this chapter. Section seven of chapter fifty-three shall apply to all such petitions. No petition shall contain or be accompanied by any indication of party or political designation.  (d) Duplicate certificates shall be prepared setting forth any charter revisions approved, and shall be signed by the state secretary. One such certificate shall be deposited in the office of the state secretary and another shall be recorded in the records of the county and deposited among its archives. All courts may take judicial notice of the charter and charter revisions of the county.  The executive body of the county shall, at intervals of not greater than ten years, cause the charter of said county as revised to be reprinted for distribution to such registered voters of said county as may apply therefor at the office of the executive body of the county. Acts of the general court which are included in such charter may be referred to by appropriate subject headings and statutory citations instead of being set forth at length. Copies of said document may be sold at a price not to exceed the cost of paper, printing and binding thereof, plus mailing charges if any, as determined by the county executive body.  (e) A new charter or charter revision approved by a majority of the voters of the county voting thereon shall take effect on the day specified in such charter or revision. If two or more charter adoption or revision proposals are submitted to the voters in the alternative and are approved, only the alternative proposal receiving the highest number of affirmative votes shall take effect. If two or more charter adoption or revision proposals containing conflicting provisions are submitted to the voters, but not as alternatives, and are approved, all such proposals shall take effect, but the proposal receiving the highest number of affirmative votes shall be construed to prevent all conflicting provisions contained in other proposals from taking effect.
MA Gen L ch 34a § 15 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VI - Counties and County Officers|Chapter 34a - County Charter Procedures|Section 15 - Application of Optional Plans and General Laws; Abolition or Consolidation of Agencies; Intent of Chapter

Section 15. (A.) Upon adoption by the registered voters of any county, except Barnstable county of any optional form of government set forth in this chapter, the county shall thereafter be governed by the plan adopted, by the provisions of this chapter applicable to all optional plans and by all general laws, subject to provisions of this chapter.  (B.) For the purposes of this chapter, a ''general law'' shall be deemed to be such a law or part thereof, heretofore or hereafter enacted, that:  (i) is not inconsistent with this chapter; and (ii) is by its terms applicable to or available to all counties, or, (iii) is applicable to all counties or to any category or class of counties and deals with one or more of the following subjects: the administration of the judicial system, education, elections, health, county public authorities, taxation, finance and welfare.  (C.) Except as it relates to judicial or penal administration, or the administration of the registry of deeds nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prevent counties from abolishing or consolidating agencies the existence of which has heretofore been mandated by general law provided that if such abolition or consolidation shall alter the obligation of the county to continue services theretofore rendered by such abolished or consolidated agency, said alteration must be approved by the general court prior to taking effect.  (D.) The intent of this chapter is to enable a county that has adopted a charter pursuant to this chapter to cause any duty that has been mandated to it by the General Laws to be performed in the most efficient and expeditious manner, and, absent a clear legislative declaration to the contrary, without regard to organizational structural, or personnel provisions contained in prior general law, and further, the intent of this chapter is to encourage a review of the functions which a county provides.
MA Gen L ch 34a § 21 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VI - Counties and County Officers|Chapter 34a - County Charter Procedures|Section 21 - Applicability

Section 21. The provisions of this act shall not apply to the county of Barnstable.
MA Gen L ch 34b § 1 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VI - Counties and County Officers|Chapter 34b - Abolition of County Government|Section 1 - Transfer Date for Abolished Counties

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 writing that the county has failed to make a required payment on an outstanding bond or note: (a) Middlesex county, as of July 11, 1997; (b) Hampden and Worcester counties, as of July 1, 1998; (c) Hampshire county, as of January 1, 1999; provided, however, that all functions, duties and responsibilities for the operation and management of the jail, house of correction and registry of deeds of Hampshire county and all duties and responsibilities for operation and management of property occupied primarily by the sheriff, registry of deeds and the trial courts in Hampshire county are hereby transferred to the commonwealth, effective September 1, 1998, subject to the provisions of this chapter; (d) Essex county as of July 1, 1999; and (e) Berkshire county on July 1, 2000, but all functions, duties and responsibilities for the operation and management of the registries of deeds of Suffolk and Berkshire counties and all duties and responsibilities for the operation and management of property occupied primarily by the registries of deeds in Berkshire and Suffolk counties are hereby transferred to the commonwealth, effective on July 1, 1999, subject to the provisions of this chapter.
MA Gen L ch 34b § 2 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VI - Counties and County Officers|Chapter 34b - Abolition of County Government|Section 2 - Governments of Abolished Counties

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 established pursuant to chapters 34, 34A, 35 and 36 or as otherwise authorized by this chapter. The office of an abolished county's treasurer shall expire on December 31, 2002. Nothing in this chapter shall affect the existing county boundaries.
MA Gen L ch 34b § 3 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VI - Counties and County Officers|Chapter 34b - Abolition of County Government|Section 3 - County Commissioners; Terms

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 transfer of the abolished county to the commonwealth. An abolished county's advisory board shall be eliminated upon the transfer date.
MA Gen L ch 34b § 4 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VI - Counties and County Officers|Chapter 34b - Abolition of County Government|Section 4 - Abolished Counties' Functions, Duties and Responsibilities Transferred to Commonwealth; Employees Transferred Under Administrative Office of Trial Court

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 correction, the registry of deeds and the courthouses are hereby transferred from said county to the commonwealth on the transfer date or, in the case of Hampshire county, September 1, 1998, or, in the case of the Suffolk and Berkshire counties' registries of deeds, on July 1, 1999, subject to the provisions of this chapter.  All persons employed by the former Franklin county or by an abolished county, or by Hampshire county as of September 1, 1998, whose work functions primarily concern the operation and maintenance of said county's court facilities shall be transferred to the commonwealth under the administrative office of the trial court as of the effective date of the transfer, which in the case of Hampshire county shall be September 1, 1998, in the manner provided in section 21 of chapter 203 of the acts of 1988, and with no impairment of employment rights held immediately before transfer, without interruption of service, without loss of earned vacation and sick time, without reduction in compensation or salary grade, and without impairment of seniority, retirement or other rights of employees. Nothing in this section shall be construed to confer upon any employee any right not held immediately before the transfer. Said employees shall be reclassified as state employees for the fiscal year in which their transfer is effective, and shall be compensated from funds appropriated to the trial court.