Bill > S1449

This bill modifies existing Massachusetts law regarding residency requirements for firefighters and police officers who are not subject to civil service regulations (chapter 31). Currently, members of regular police or fire departments appointed after August 1, 1978, must live within 15 miles of the city or town where they are employed, with the distance measured from the closest border limits of the employing and residing municipalities. The bill allows municipalities to extend this 15-mile residency limit through collective bargaining agreements negotiated under chapter 150E, which governs labor relations for public employees. This provides local governments with more flexibility in setting residency requirements for first responders, potentially making it easier for firefighters and police officers to live slightly farther from their workplace while still maintaining a reasonable proximity to their job location.

Government Affairs

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S1449