Massachusetts General Laws
Chapter 66 - Public Records
Section 5a - Records of Meetings of Boards and Commissions; Contents

Section 5A. The records, required to be kept by sections eleven A of chapter thirty A, nine F of chapter thirty-four and twenty-three B of chapter thirty-nine, shall report the names of all members of such boards and commissions present, the subjects acted upon, and shall record exactly the votes and other official actions taken by such boards and commissions; but unless otherwise required by the governor in the case of state boards, commissions and districts, or by the county commissioners in the case of county boards and commissions, or the governing body thereof in the case of a district, or by ordinance or by-law of the city or town, in the case of municipal boards, such records need not include a verbatim record of discussions at such meetings.

Structure Massachusetts General Laws

Massachusetts General Laws

Part I - Administration of the Government

Title X - Public Records

Chapter 66 - Public Records

Section 1 - Supervision of Public Records; Powers and Duties

Section 1a - Creation of Educational Materials; Preparation of Forms and Reference Materials; Operation of Website; Development of Best Practices

Section 3 - ''record'' Defined; Quality of Paper and Film; Microfilm Records

Section 3a - Recommendations for Employment Submitted in Support of Candidates Hired by the Commonwealth; Use of Recommendation by Hiring Authority

Section 4 - Regulation of Recording Materials and Devices; Mandamus

Section 5 - Municipal Records; Copies

Section 5a - Records of Meetings of Boards and Commissions; Contents

Section 6 - Records of Public Proceedings; Preparation; Custody

Section 6a - Records Access Officers; Designation; Powers and Duties

Section 7 - Custody of Old and Other Records

Section 8 - Preservation and Destruction of Records, Books and Papers

Section 8a - Destruction of Certain Records by City and Town Clerks if Micro-Photographed

Section 8b - Destruction or Disposal of Records in Accordance With Chapter 93i

Section 9 - Preservation and Copying of Worn, etc., Records

Section 10 - Inspection and Copies of Public Records; Requests; Written Responses; Extension of Time; Fees

Section 10a - Petition for Determination of Violation of Sec. 10; Enforcement by Attorney General; Civil Actions

Section 10b - Records Divulging Name, Home or Email Address and Phone Number; Persons Who Own, Possess or Have License to Carry Firearms; Government Personnel

Section 11 - Fireproof Vaults and Safes

Section 12 - Arrangement of Records

Section 13 - Custodian to Demand Records; Compelling Compliance

Section 14 - Surrender of Records by Retiring Officer

Section 15 - Penalties

Section 16 - Surrender of Church Records; Jurisdiction of Superior Court

Section 17 - Municipality in Which Records to Be Kept; Contracts for Records Storage; Penalty

Section 17a - Public Assistance Records; Public Inspection; Destruction

Section 17c - Failure to Maintain Public Records of Meetings; Orders to Maintain

Section 17d - Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program Data Base; Division Records; Site-Specific Rare Species Information

Section 17e - Local Filing Offices; Former Article 9 Uniform Commercial Code Records; Revised Article 9 Records

Section 18 - Application of Chapter

Section 19 - Electronic Record Keeping Systems and Databases; Capability Requirements; Storage Contracts; Certain Records to Be Available on Searchable Website

Section 20 - Payroll, Financial and Other Data in Centralized State Accounting and Payroll Systems

Section 21 - Documents Related to Pensions of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Employees