Senate passes bill authorizing MWRA to supply water to Lynnfield Center Water District

The Massachusetts Senate passed House Bill 972, authorizing the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to supply water to the Lynnfield Center Water District within the town of Lynnfield. The Senate adopted an emergency preamble and ordered the bill enacted and to be laid before the governor.

The measure, described in the reading as an "Act authorizing the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority to supply water to the Lynnfield Center Water District within the town of Lynnfield, House Number 972," was considered on motion to suspend rules and to act forthwith. The chair called a standing count to adopt the emergency preamble; the clerk reported, "2 members having voted in the affirmative and 0 members having voted in the negative, the emergency preamble is adopted." The Senate then voted to pass the bill to be enacted. The clerk recorded that the bill "will be signed by the president and laid before the governor for her approbation."

Why it matters: the bill authorizes the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) to provide a public water supply to the Lynnfield Center Water District. Passage with an emergency preamble typically allows the law to take effect more quickly once approved by the governor.

Key procedural steps recorded in the transcript: the House-originated bill was placed before the Senate with an endorsement that the House had amended the bill by inserting language before the enacting clause and an emergency preamble. The senator identified in the record as representing the Bristol and Plymouth district requested unanimous consent to suspend the rules to consider the matter forthwith; the chair heard no objection and the Senate proceeded to consider the House amendment, concurred, adopted the emergency preamble by standing count, and passed the bill to be enacted. The transcript notes the bill will be signed by the Senate president and sent to the governor for approbation.

Discussion versus decision: the record contains no floor debate on the bill's policy merits; the transcript records only the motions to suspend the rules, concurrence in the House amendment, the standing vote adopting the emergency preamble, and the final voice vote passing the bill. No amendments on the floor and no recorded roll-call votes on final passage appear in the transcript.

Next steps: the bill is to be delivered to the governor for signature or veto as provided by the constitution and will take effect according to the emergency preamble if the governor approves it.