By Ms. Wolf of Cambridge, petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 712) of Alice K. Wolf and others for legislation to prohibit compensating persons for signatures obtained on initiative or referendum petitions.  Election Laws.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PETITION OF:

Alice K. Wolf

Gale D. Candaras

Michael E. Festa

Carl M. Sciortino, Jr.

Susan C. Tucker

Elizabeth A. Malia

Patricia D. Jehlen

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In the Year Two Thousand and Seven.

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An Act further regulating initiative and referendum petitions.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

An Act further regulating initiative and referendum petitions.

SECTION 1. Section 22A of chapter 53 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2004 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following two sentences:— It shall be unlawful to pay or receive money or other things of value based on the number of signatures obtained on an initiative or referendum petition. Nothing herein prohibits payment for signature gathering which is not based, either directly or indirectly, on the number of signatures obtained.