Authorizing the town of Berkley to recall elected officials
Summary
The Massachusetts General Court passed S3018 on April 6, 2026, authorizing the town of Berkley to establish recall procedures for its elected officials. The bill was introduced by Senator Kelly Dooner as a new draft of S2552 and passed the Senate for engrossment. This is special legislation applying solely to Berkley, allowing its residents to initiate recall elections against local elected officials.
What changed
The Massachusetts Senate passed S3018, granting the town of Berkley statutory authority to recall elected officials from office. The legislation was introduced as a new draft of S2552 by Senator Kelly Dooner and received engrossment on April 6, 2026. This special act applies exclusively to Berkley and creates a local recall mechanism not otherwise available under Massachusetts general law.
Berkley town officials and legal counsel should review the enabling legislation to develop compliant recall procedures and petition requirements. As special legislation, this bill does not create obligations for entities outside the town of Berkley. No compliance deadlines, penalties, or federal regulatory references apply to this state law.
What to do next
- Berkley town officials should review S3018 to understand the scope of recall authority granted
- Berkley should develop local procedures for recall petition submission and election scheduling
- Town counsel should assess implementation requirements under the new special legislation
Source document (simplified)
ChangeBridge / Massachusetts / S3018 Passed S3018 S Passed 2026-04-06
Authorizing the town of Berkley to recall elected officials
Bill Details
State Massachusetts
Session 194th General Court
Chamber Senate
Official Source malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S3018
LegiScan View on LegiScan
Sponsors
Kelly Dooner (Sen - R)
Action History
2026-04-06 S Passed to be engrossed 2026-04-06 S New draft (Dooner) of S2552
Bill Text Versions
2026-04-06 Introduced Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
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