House advances bills to third reading and passes several measures to be engrossed

The Massachusetts House moved a package of bills forward on the calendar, ordering several to a third reading and passing others to be engrossed or enacted.

The Committee on Steering Policy and Scheduling presented a report scheduling bills for House consideration. On second reading the House voted to order the following bills to a third reading: an act relative to anti-retaliation protections for public employees (House No. 2116); an act establishing Getting to 0 Week (House No. 3381); and an act related to local and regional cultural council membership (House No. 3596). The presiding officer announced, "Bills are ordered to a third reading."

In related floor action, the Clerk announced several bills were "rightly and truly prepared and now before the House for final passage." The House voted to pass to be enacted an act increasing the age limit for retired police officers serving as special police officers in the town of Weston (House 4031) and an act dissolving a special fund in the town of Athol (House 4401).

The Chair also informed members that other bills had been released by the committee on bills and were passed to be engrossed: House No. 4648 (an act relative to the purchase or lease of Fen Farm in Stockbridge), House No. 4781 (authorizing the town of Bridgewater to amend its charter for gender-neutral language), and House No. 4815 (authorizing Arlington's select board to place a question on the ballot regarding off-premises alcohol licenses). Each was put to a voice vote and the Chair announced the outcomes.

What this means: ordering a bill to a third reading advances it toward final consideration on a later day; passing bills to be engrossed prepares them for final engrossment and possible enactment. The session recorded procedural votes; no substantive floor debate on bill text was recorded in this portion of the transcript.

Next steps: the listed bills will appear on subsequent calendars for third reading or final passage as appropriate.