The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Massachusetts bill requires triennial state audits of municipal water and sewer service assessments
Last action · March 9, 2026: Accompanied a study order, see H5183Sponsor: Jeff Turco
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Would Do
Massachusetts cities and towns that include certain sewer and water service costs in their assessments and charges must undergo audits by the Office of the State Auditor at least once every three years. The audit must review , expenses, and include a staffing analysis to verify that employees spend a substantial majority of their time on actual water or sewer services rather than unrelated municipal operations.
Municipalities passing on water and sewer costs to ratepayers face mandatory external audits of their calculation methods and staffing allocations, altering how local infrastructure charges are reviewed and justified.
- The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority provides wholesale water and sewer services to numerous cities and towns across the Commonwealth. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
water and sewer ratepayers
Municipalities charging them for water and sewer services will undergo periodic state audits to verify that the underlying costs and chargebacks are accurate.
cities and towns
Municipalities that include specific costs in sewer and water assessments are subjected to mandatory triennial audits of their expenses, chargebacks, and staffing allocations.
Office of the State Auditor
The office is tasked with conducting triennial audits of municipal sewer and water service assessments, including staff time analyses.
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
Which municipalities are subject to the audit requirement?
How often must the audits be conducted?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
7 actions- Mar 9, 2026HouseAccompanied a study order, see H5183
- Oct 6, 2025JointHearing scheduled for 10/14/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-2
- Oct 6, 2025JointHearing scheduled for 10/14/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-2
- Jul 10, 2025SenateSenate concurred
- Jul 7, 2025HouseDischarged to the committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight
- Feb 27, 2025SenateSenate concurred
Show 1 earlier action
- Feb 27, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to the committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery
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
Connected Entities
Sources
malegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy30Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools