The COVID Project
The record
- Jurisdiction
- Massachusetts
- Level
- State
- Authority
- Massachusetts General Laws, Part I, Title XVI, Chapter 111
- Issued
- 2026-09-28 Sept. 28, 2026
- Effective
- standing (read as 2026-09-28)
- End
- standing
- In force
- Standing since Sept. 28, 2026 (a statutory duty; in force throughout the six quarters)
- Quarters
- 2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
2020 Q22020 Q32020 Q42021 Q12021 Q22021 Q3
- Limitation types
- Business closureGathering capFace-covering requirementWorkplace rulesStanding duty
- Addressees
- persons generally; employers and their servants and agents; owners or persons in control of premises
- Character
- statutory authority
- Collection
- Standing duties: Massachusetts DUT-MA
Operative words
Boards of health may make reasonable health regulations. A summary which shall describe the substance of any regulation made by a board of health under this chapter shall be published once in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or town, and such publication shall be notice to all persons.
Penalty
Fine of not more than $1,000 for any violation for which no other penalty is provided by law
What it required
Every city and town board of health holds standing power to make health regulations binding on all persons within the municipality; the section's penalty clause punishes whoever, 'himself or by his servant or agent, or as the servant or agent of any other person or any firm or corporation, violates any reasonable health regulation, made under authority of this section,' by a fine of up to $1,000; this was the authority for the municipal mask, capacity and closure regulations of 2020 and 2021 outside the field the Governor's orders occupied. Character as recorded: statutory_authority (enabling power; binds through the orders issued under it).
Retrieval noteOrder No. 33 s. 6 and Order No. 37 s. 4 said municipalities 'should' not adopt stricter workplace rules (verb 'should'); the boards' s. 31 authority over conduct outside the workplace-safety field, and their concurrent enforcement of the orders under G.L. c. 111, s. 30, were untouched (Ex. MA-008, MA-016, MA-017, MA-019).