Section 6B Division of local mandates; responsibilities and powers - Massachusetts Statutes

Section 6B. The division of local mandates, as provided for in section six of this chapter, shall have the responsibility of determining to the best of its ability and in a timely manner the estimated and actual financial effects on each city and town of laws, and rules and regulations of administrative agencies of the commonwealth either proposed or in effect, as required under section twenty-seven C of chapter twenty-nine of the General Laws.

The division shall have the power to require the chief officer of any appropriate administrative agency of the commonwealth to supply in a timely manner any information determined by the division to be necessary in the determination of local financial effects under said section twenty-seven C. The chief officer shall convey the requested information to the division with a signed statement to the effect that the information is accurate and complete to the best of his ability.

The division when requested under the provisions of subsections (d) and (f) of said section twenty-seven C, shall update its determination of financial effects based on either actual cost figures or improved estimates or both.

The division shall review every five years those laws and administrative regulations which have a significant financial impact upon cities or towns. For the purposes of this section “Significant financial impact” is defined as requiring municipalities to expand existing services, employ additional personnel, or increase local expenditures. Said division shall determine the costs and benefits of each such law and regulation, and submit a report to the general court of each session together with its recommendation, if any, for the continuation, modification or elimination of such law or regulation.