Massachusetts H5604: An Act restructuring the town of Ludlow recreation department and the town of Ludlow recreation commission

What the bill says

From the introduced text, July 23, 2026:

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding chapter 45 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, the Town of Ludlow’s Recreation Department shall hereby become part of the Parks & Recreation Division of the Town of Ludlow’s Department of Public Works. The Director of the Department of Public Works shall oversee the operations of the Parks & Recreation Division and have all other authority over the Parks & Recreation Division that they have over other divisions within the Department of Public Works. SECTION 2. Upon the effective date of this act, the appointed and elected offices of the Recreation Department, including those of the elected Recreation Commission, shall be abolished and the term of the incumbents in such offices terminated, provided, however, that notwithstanding section 1., the incumbent appointed Recreation Department employees shall become Parks & Recreation Division employees to the extent that their employment positions are established within the Parks & Recreation Division, and the elected Recreation Commissioners shall be appointed to the same post by the Select Board for the remainder of their previously elected terms. Once the incumbent Recreation Commissioners have reached the end of their respective elected terms, the Select Board shall appoint new members of the Recreation Commission, each for a three-year term, to be staggered so that each member’s term ends …

Read the full official text

Sponsors

• Aaron Saunders (D) · primary sponsor

Latest actions

1. October 19, 2026: Read second and ordered to a third reading
2. October 19, 2026: Rules suspended
3. October 19, 2026: Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting
4. October 1, 2026: Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling
5. September 11, 2026: Hearing scheduled for 09/21/2026 from 10:00 AM-05:00 PM in Written Testimony Only
6. July 27, 2026: Senate concurred
7. July 23, 2026: Referred to the committee on Municipalities and Regional Government

Votes

• Committee Vote - Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government (September 30, 2026): 10 yea, 0 nay, passed

Common questions

What is H5604?

H5604 is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature (194th General Court): An Act restructuring the town of Ludlow recreation department and the town of Ludlow recreation commission.

What is the status of H5604?

In committee as of October 19, 2026. Latest action: Read second and ordered to a third reading (October 19, 2026).

Who sponsored H5604?

Aaron Saunders (D).

Where is the official record for H5604?

On the Massachusetts Legislature website: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5604