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H 2258MASSACHUSETTSSession 194thState BillSigned into law
Enacted

Massachusetts authorizes Cotuit Fire District water commissioners to recommend private property improvements for water protection

Original title: An Act relative to the Cotuit Fire District

Last action · March 16, 2026: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 47 of the Acts of 2026Sponsor: Kip Diggs

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Does

Cotuit Fire District water commissioners are now authorized to recommend water protection improvements on private property with owner approval and seek district funding for those projects. This enactment amends Chapter 328 of the acts of 1926 and takes effect for the district.

Why it matters

Property owners within the district gain a legal framework for water quality projects on private land, while district voters acquire the authority to allocate funds toward these improvements.

Background
  • The Cotuit Fire District is a special municipal district located in Barnstable, Massachusetts, providing water and other services to local residents. context
  • Chapter 328 of the Acts of 1926 established or organized the foundational charter and governance rules for the Cotuit Fire District. context

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Cotuit Fire District residents

Residents experience changes to how water supply protection projects can be initiated and funded across the district.

Directly affected

board of water commissioners

The board gains explicit statutory authority to recommend private property improvements and seek funding for water quality.

Directly affected

Cotuit Fire District property owners

Property owners must grant prior written approval before any water protection improvements can be recommended on their private land.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What authority does the board of water commissioners receive under this law?
The board may recommend water protection improvements on private property, provided they secure prior written approval from the property owners, and they may seek funding for these projects through a vote of the district.
Is property owner consent required for these improvements?
Yes, prior written approval of the property owners is required before the can recommend improvements on private property.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

15 actions
  1. Mar 16, 2026ExecutiveEnrolled
    Signed by the Governor, Chapter 47 of the Acts of 2026
  2. Mar 16, 2026Senate
    Enacted and laid before the Governor
  3. Mar 16, 2026House
    Enacted
  4. Mar 12, 2026SenateFloor
    Read second, ordered to a third reading, read third (title changed) and passed to be engrossed
  5. Mar 12, 2026Senate
    Rules suspended
  6. Mar 12, 2026Senate
    Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next session
Show 9 earlier actions
  1. Sep 22, 2025SenateCommittee
    Read; and referred to the committee on Senate Rules
  2. Sep 18, 2025HouseFloor
    Read third (title changed) and passed to be engrossed
  3. Jul 23, 2025House
    Read second and ordered to a third reading
  4. Jul 23, 2025House
    Rules suspended
  5. Jul 23, 2025House
    Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting
  6. Jul 10, 2025HouseCommittee
    Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling
  7. May 5, 2025Joint
    Hearing scheduled for 05/13/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-1
  8. Feb 27, 2025Senate
    Senate concurred
  9. Feb 27, 2025HouseCommittee
    Referred to the committee on Municipalities and Regional Government

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Kip DiggsHouse · District 2nd BarnstableDemocraticPrimary sponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Expansion of Water District Private Property Access

The enactment systematically updates a nearly century-old act (Chapter 328 of the acts of 1926) to explicitly permit public water commissioners to engage with private property for water supply enhancement.

Cotuit Fire District

Connected Entities

Kip Diggs, Cotuit Fire District
PersonKip Diggs“Representative who filed the petition for House No. 2258”Map →
OrganizationCotuit Fire District“District carrying out water supply protection and improvements”Map →

Sources

Open source document

malegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance40
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy10
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz15
    Current news / social attention level

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