Massachusetts H5616: An Act authorizing the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to take easements over certain land located in the city of Woburn and the town of Burlington held in trust by the city of Boston for the Mary P. C. Cummings Testamentary Trust for highway purposes

What the bill says

An Act authorizing the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to take easements over certain land located in the city of Woburn and the town of Burlington held in trust by the city of Boston for the Mary P. C. Cummings Testamentary Trust for highway purposes.

From the introduced text, July 29, 2026:

An Act authorizing the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to take easements over certain land located in the city of Woburn and the town of Burlington held in trust by the city of Boston for the Mary P. C. Cummings Testamentary Trust for highway purposes. Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to authorize forthwith the commonwealth, acting by and through its department of transportation to take certain easements for highway purposes, to support the intersection improvement project being undertaken by the commonwealth at the intersection of Cambridge road at South Bedford street and Bedford road in the city of Woburn and the town of Burlington, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience. of the same, as follows: SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the commonwealth, acting by and through the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, may take for highway purposes, certain parcels of land located in the city of Woburn and the town of Burlington, held in trust by the city of Boston's Treasury department, being temporary construction areas of 4,603 square feet and permanent easements of 8,917 square feet and shown on a plan of land entitled "Massachusetts Department of Transportation Highway Division Intersection Improvement …

Read the full official text

Sponsors

• Richard Haggerty (D, 30th Middlesex)
• Kenneth Gordon (D, 21st Middlesex)
• Michelle Ciccolo (D, 15th Middlesex)

Latest actions

1. August 6, 2026: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 173 of the Acts of 2026
2. July 30, 2026: Laid before the Governor
3. July 30, 2026: Enacted -see Roll Call #227 (Yeas 39 to Nays 0)
4. July 30, 2026: Enacted - 158 YEAS to 0 NAYS (See YEA and NAY No. 250)
5. July 30, 2026: Emergency preamble adopted
6. July 30, 2026: Read, rules suspended, read second, ordered to a third reading, read third and passed to be engrossed
7. July 29, 2026: Passed to be engrossed
8. July 29, 2026: Amendment 1 adopted
9. July 29, 2026: Consolidated with S3229
10. July 29, 2026: Bills in the Third Reading special report accepted

Votes

• Enacted (July 30, 2026): 158 yea, 0 nay, passed
• Enacted (July 30, 2026): 39 yea, 0 nay, passed

Common questions

What is H5616?

H5616 is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature (194th General Court): An Act authorizing the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to take easements over certain land located in the city of Woburn and the town of Burlington held in trust by the city of Boston for the Mary P. C. Cummings Testamentary Trust for highway purposes.

What does H5616 do?

In its own words: An Act authorizing the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to take easements over certain land located in the city of Woburn and the town of Burlington held in trust by the city of Boston for the Mary P. C. Cummings Testamentary Trust for highway purposes.

What is the status of H5616?

Signed into law as of August 6, 2026. Latest action: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 173 of the Acts of 2026 (August 6, 2026).

Who sponsored H5616?

Richard Haggerty (D, 30th Middlesex), with 2 co-sponsors.

Where is the official record for H5616?

On the Massachusetts Legislature website: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5616