Senate suspends rules to take up bills, validates Warren election and honors Ralph Pasquarelli

The Senate convened, suspended procedural rules to take up several measures, approved multiple bills from the House and Senate and paused to honor Ralph Edward Pasquarelli, whom lawmakers memorialized before adjourning.

The Chair opened the session and led the Pledge of Allegiance. The Clerk reported committee recommendations and the Chair moved, without objection, to suspend Rule 36 and other rules to allow immediate consideration of several petitions and bills, including a petition associated with Rebecca L. Roush regarding repeal of archaic laws criminalizing pregnancy and Senate Bill 2145 designating Oct. 15 as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day.

Several bills were read for third time and passed by the Senate. Measures taken up and recorded by the Clerk and the Chair included:
- Senate No. 1446: An act amending the charter of the town of Tewkesbury to modify the residency requirement for the town manager (third reading taken).
- House No. 4349: An act directing the Boston Police Department to waive the maximum age requirement for police officers in the case of Louis Cabral (third reading taken; title changed in committee).
- House No. 4504: An act making the charter of the county of Nantucket gender-neutral (taken up and passed by voice vote).
- House No. 4962: An act establishing a sick leave bank for Sally Derosia, an employee of the Department of Correction (read and recorded as passed).

The Clerk also presented a House petition from Representatives Lindsey N. Sabadoso and Joann N. Comerford regarding taxation of certain foreign government pensions; following suspension of the applicable rule the petition was referred to the Committee on Revenue.

The Senate adopted an emergency preamble and enacted House No. 4763, an act validating the results of the annual election held in the town of Warren on May 20, 2025. The Chair called for a standing vote to meet the two-thirds requirement and later announced the bill passed by the required supermajority; the bill will be signed by the president and sent to the governor for approval.

Senator Collins moved that the Senate adjourn in memory of Ralph Edward Pasquarelli (born 08/04/1949; died 03/06/2026). The Clerk and the Chair read an extended memorial recounting his military service, 32-year career with Amtrak and community involvement in South Boston and Stoughton. The motion carried by voice vote and the Senate observed a moment of silence; the Chair said, "May he rest in peace. May his memory be a blessing." The Senate then recessed briefly and adjourned to meet Wednesday next at noon in a full formal session without a calendar.

No floor debate on the substance of the bills was recorded in the transcript; votes were announced as passed or recorded by voice/standing vote as noted above. Where counts or roll-call tallies were not read into the record, the transcript records only the Chair's announcement that the ayes "have it."