Bill > S1098

This bill amends Chapter 40 of the General Laws to require cities and towns to submit one or more copies of their annual and special reports to the State Library and State Archives by the last day of August each year, with the withholding of state publications serving as a penalty for non-compliance. These reports must include detailed information from all budgetary departments, elective and appointive boards and commissions subject to the open meeting law (which ensures public access to government meetings), the legislative branch's measures, votes on appropriations and financing, rules, fee schedules, and business conducted at meetings, as well as a summary of significant events and reports from the executive branch for the fiscal year ending June 30. In addition to filing with the state, copies must be kept at the city or town clerk's office, the public library, or another designated location, and the municipal corporation's historical commission must be notified. The bill also mandates that municipalities appropriate sufficient funds to print enough copies for all local officials, create an electronic version for their website if one exists, and coordinate the compilation of these reports between the legislative and executive branches, with the act taking effect immediately upon the first annual report filed by the next August 31.