Using Massachusetts Session Laws

One way to find a Massachusetts session law is to use the annual or biannual index to the laws passed in each legislative session. In order to use the index, however, you would need to know in which legislative session the law was enacted. Another way to locate a session law would be to find the law in one of the Massachusetts code volumes since the code often refers to the session law(s) that have been incorporated into a specific code section.

Sometimes session laws are published in legislative advance services. These pamphlets are used to find additions or amendments made since the last pocket part was prepared for the code volume.

Updating Massachusetts Session Laws

The General Laws of Massachusetts
The annual supplement and monthly pamphlets have a cumulative table of "General Laws Amended by..." setting out the General Laws by chapter and section number, the effect of the new act, the citation to the new act, and the date when the amendment is effective.

Massachusetts General Laws Annotated
First, check the pocket part or pamphlet supplement for the volume you are using. Check the currency statement: "Includes laws through the xxxx annual session." Then go to West's Massachusetts Legislative Service. Each issue of this publication has a cumulative table of "General Laws--Amended, Added, Repealed, Etc." setting out the General Laws by chapter and section number, the effect of the new act, and the citation to the new act.

The Annotated Laws of Massachusetts
First, check the pocket part or pamphlet supplement for the volume you are using. Check the currency statement: "With all the changes in the law THROUGH the xxxx Session." Then go to the Massachusetts Advance Legislative Service table of "Additions, Amendments, and Repeals of the General Laws" setting out the General Laws by chapter and section number, the effect of the new act, and the citation to the new act.