PETITION OF:

SECTION 1. Section 2 of Chapter 30B of the General Laws, as found in the 2002 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after line 24 the following words:— “Civic group”, an organization dedicated to or encouraging agriculture, horticulture, antiquarian, artistic, educational, historical, musical, parent teachers association, philanthropic, patriotic purposes, literary clubs, youth groups such as boys, girls clubs, boy scouts or cub scouts, girl scouts or brownies, Four H clubs, or school boosters clubs.

SECTION 2. Section 2 of Chapter 30B of the General Laws, as found in the 2002 Official Edition, is hereby further amended by inserting after line 40 the following words:— “Fraternal organization”, an incorporated society, order or supreme lodge, without capital stock, conducted solely for the benefit of its members and their beneficiaries, and not for profit, operated on a lodge system with ritualistic form of work, having a representative form of government, and which makes provision for the payment of benefits in accordance with chapter 176 of the General Laws.

SECTION 3. Said Section 2 of Chapter 30B of the General Laws, as found in the 2002 Official Edition, is further amended by inserting after line 95 the following words:— “Veterans organizations”, a veterans organization incorporated or chartered by the congress of the United States.
“Youth or adult athletic league”, an organization or league made up of adults or youth which is locally operated, based or established and engaging or operating a formal league in conducting competitions in the following sports: baseball, basketball, cycling, figure skating, gymnastics, hockey, jogging, lacrosse, sailing, skiing, soccer, softball, swimming, track or volleyball.

SECTION 4. Chapter 30B of the General Laws, as found in the 2002 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 16 thereof the following new section:—
Section 16A. A governmental body may, after receiving approval by a majority vote of a city council in the case of a city, or after receiving approval by a majority vote at an annual or special town meeting in the case of a town, rent for less than fair market value any municipally-owned real property to a locally based “civic group, fraternal organization, or veterans organization”, or “youth or adult athletic league”, as defined by section 1 of this chapter, for an original term not to exceed 10 years. Said rental shall not be subject to the provisions of paragraphs (c), (d), (e), and (f) of section 16 of this chapter.
The original rental term authorized by the first paragraph of this section may be renewed during the final year of said term for an additional term not to exceed 10 years by said city or town, but only after approval for such a renewal has been granted by a majority vote of the city council taken at a meeting held during the final year of said original term, or by a majority vote of the town taken at an annual or special town meeting held for such purpose during the final year of said original term.
In likewise manner, any further renewal of a rental authorized by the first or second paragraphs by this section shall not exceed a term of 10 years, nor shall any such renewal be exercised by a city or town except during the final year of such renewal term, and then only after approval for such a renewal term has been granted by a majority vote of city council taken at a meeting held during the final year of said renewal term, or by a majority vote of the town taken at an annual or special town meeting held for such purpose during the final year of said renewal term.