Massachusetts legislation · 194th General Court
Massachusetts H5601: relative to the department of public works in the town of Barre
Status: Passed one chamber, September 28, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text, July 30, 2026:
SECTION 1. Chapter 56 of the Acts of 1988 is hereby repealed and the public works commission established by said act is hereby abolished. SECTION 2. There is hereby established in the Town of Barre a Department of Public Works, hereinafter called the "Department". Said Department shall have all the powers and duties previously vested in or exercised by and composed of the highway department, water department, sewer department and the parks and recreation department. SECTION 3. The department shall be supervised by a superintendent appointed by the select board, in consultation with a recommendation by the town administrator, subject to the by-laws of the town that provide for the appointment of officers. The town administrator in consultation with select board may establish an employment contract with the superintendent for salary, fringe benefits and other conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, severance pay, reimbursement for expenses incurred in the performance of the duties of office, liability insurance and conditions of discipline, termination, dismissal, reappointment, performance standards and leave. The superintendent shall hold no other elective or appointive office in the town without approval from the select board and shall not be engaged in any other business that would constitute a conflict of interest as defined by Massachusetts General Laws. The superintendent shall report to the town administrator as …
Sponsors
- Peter Durant (R, Worcester and Hampshire)
- Donald Berthiaume (R)
Latest actions
- : Read; and placed in the Orders of the Day for the next session
- : Read third and passed to be engrossed
- : Read second and ordered to a third reading
- : Rules suspended
- : Placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting (under the last sentence of Rule 7A) for a second reading
- : Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling
- : New draft of H5577
- : Reported from the committee on Municipalities and Regional Government
Votes
- Committee Vote - Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government (July 23, 2026): 11 yea, 0 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is H5601?
- H5601 is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature (194th General Court): relative to the department of public works in the town of Barre.
- What is the status of H5601?
- Passed one chamber as of September 28, 2026. Latest action: Read; and placed in the Orders of the Day for the next session (September 28, 2026).
- Who sponsored H5601?
- Peter Durant (R, Worcester and Hampshire), with 1 co-sponsor.
- Where is the official record for H5601?
- On the Massachusetts Legislature website: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5601
Source: official Massachusetts record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.