Scope and Content: Setting of rates to be paid by Massachusetts state agencies to health care institutions (and, from 1975, the approval of all hospital rate increases) was the responsibility successively of the Division of Hospital Costs and Finances (1954-1962, within the Commission on Administration and Finance), the Bureau of Hospital Costs and Finances (1963-1968, within the Executive Office for Administration and Finance), and the Rate Setting Commission (1968-1996, within the Executive Office of Human Services (Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) from 1992)–also known as the Massachusetts Rate Setting Commission).  The commission was succeeded in 1996 by the executive office’s Division of Health Care Finance and Policy. From 2003 rates for hospitals were set by  EOHSS itself, as were rates for other health care institutions from 2012, when the division was succeeded by the Center for Health Information and Analysis. The center, tasked with collecting and providing  analysis of data to assist in the formulation of health care policy, continues to maintain rate setting records.  Public hearings convened by the current rate setting agency are required in order to adopt or amend rates or related regulations. After issuing notice, holding hearings, and observing a public comment period, the agency files rules and regulations with the state secretary for codification in the Code of Massachusetts Regulations (CMR).  Series was created to document these public hearings.
Arrangement: In three subseries
Notes: Formerly included: Business meeting minutes, now cataloged separately as: (M-Ar)2685).
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Scope and Content: Per GL 1921, c 121, s 23, the Massachusetts commissioner of public welfare investigated defective housing, studied operation of building and tenement house laws, encouraged creation of local planning boards, and promoted formation of organizations to increase the number of available homes. These functions then passed successively to the State Board of Housing (Dept. of Public Welfare–St 1933, c 364), State Housing Board (Governor and Council–St 1948, c 260, ss 3-6), Division of Housing (Dept. of Commerce and Development–St 1964, c 636), Dept. of Community Affairs (St 1968, c 761), Division of Housing and Community Development (Dept. of Economic Development–St  1996, c 151, s 125), and Dept. of Housing and Community Development (St 1997, c 43, s 40), which currently offers programs, housing, and funding to communities to serve those with low to moderate incomes. Its functions are described in MGLA c 23B.
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Scope and Content: The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts appointed a Court Monitor in 1979 to administer court consent decrees relating to five state schools for the mentally retarded. In 1986 the responsibility was transferred to the gubernatorially established Office of Quality Assurance for the Mental Retardation Consent Decrees. In 1993 oversight was transferred to a Governor’s Commission  on Mental Retardation, while specific quality assurance functions were placed under an Office of Quality Enhancement, Office of Quality Management, Dept. of Mental Retardation, which had taken over responsibility for the mentally retarded from the Dept. of Mental Health in 1986.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: From the records of the Governor’s Commission on Mental Retardation, transferred to  Archives, 1994-2008. For details consult the Massachusetts Archives series control file. Box 1: 1993-1996. Box 2: 1996-2001. Box 3: 2002-2004. Box 4: 2005-2007
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Scope and Content: The post of Commissioner of Public Records within the state secretary’s office was made permanent in 1892, and was succeeded in 1919 by the post of Supervisor of Public Records.  The holder of that office has administered the Public Records Division, known until 1952 as the Division of Public Records.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Public document number 52. Report for 1890 missing
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Scope and Content: Responsibilities of the Public Records Division include regulation preservation, and destruction of records created by state agencies, cities, towns, and counties, determination of access to public reocrds; and administration of commissions and regulating lobbyists.  Files are created to obtain legislation favorable to the goals of the office, and to interpret the same.
Notes: Files for 1943-1971 lacking
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Scope and Content: The state secretary, since 1919 through a unit currently called the Public Records Division, keeps pardon and commutation books that serve as certification of pardons and commutations granted by the governor and council.  Signed by the secretary, each entry includes name of individual,  list of criminal offenses or sentences that are being pardoned or commuted, and any conditions attached to the decision. –Vols. 1-8 (1862-1916) formerly part of: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. Records of commissions, proclamations, pardons, and other official documents, 1713-1945 (bulk 1747-1936) ((M-Ar)161X). For earlier files and a listing of related series see the record for that series. –Vols. 1-6 also include warrants preceding (i.e., 1862-1885) those found in:  Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. Warrants for transfer of prison inmates to state insane hospitals, 1884-1909 ((M-Ar)994X)
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically
Notes: Holdings through May 1990. Files for July 1983-Nov. 1987 lacking
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Scope and Content: MGLA c 66, s 10 requires public records custodians to permit public inspection of all public records within ten days following receipt of such request.  If the custodian refuses to comply with the request for access, the requestor may appeal to the supervisor of public records, who is authorized to determine whether the record is public.  If the supervisor deems the record public, he orders the custodian of the public record to comply with the request for access.  Series, maintained by the Public Records Division of the Office of the Secretary of State, was created to administer appeals and make determinations.  Initial 1977 files contain typescript, photocopied, and manuscript correspondence from persons seeking access to records and from custodians seeking advice on whether a record is open to public inspection or contesting access requests, and copies of the draft and final determination opinions of the supervisor.
Arrangement: Arranged chronologically by year, thereunder alphabetically by requestor for initial 1977 files; thereafter, 1977 and onward, by year and SPR serial case number
Notes: No case files exist before 1977.  Series includes a folder of opinions of the supervisor of public records, 1974-1977, some of which were probably derived from the series of that name ((M-Ar)N023)
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Scope and Content: Renditions are created under the Uniform Criminal Extradition Act.  In Massachusetts, where this act is in force as MGLA c 276, ss 11-20R, the law authorizes the governor, upon application by the attorney general or district attorney, to issue a rendition on another state, demanding return of a fugitive to Massachusetts.  He is also authorized, upon written demand by another state, to surrender a person who allegedly committed a crime in that state.  By law, one copy of each rendition on or from another state is filed in the Office of the Secretary of State, currently and more specifically in the Public Records Division. –Books for renditions on other states contain the secretary’s copies of renditions issued by the governor for fugitives from Massachusetts, and of certificates authorizing Massachusetts agents to receive the fugitives.  Books for renditions from other states contain the secretary’s copies of warrants to arrest fugitives from other states, issued by the governor to all law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts, and certificates of issuance for said warrants. –For earlier files and a listing of related series see: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. Records of commissions, proclamations, pardons, and other official documents, 1713-1945 (bulk 1747-1936) (M-Ar)161X)
Arrangement: In two subseries: (1) Requisitions on other states  (2) Requisitions from other states; arranged within each subseries chronologically by date filed
Restrictions: Criminal offender record information restricted by statutory provision MGLA c 6, ss 167-178. For conditions of access consult repository
Notes: Holdings through June 1992.  Files for July 1986-June 1987 lacking
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Scope and Content: Renditions are created under the Uniform Criminal Extradition Act.  In Massachusetts, where this act is in force as MGLA c 276, ss 11-20R, the law authorizes the governor, upon application by the attorney general or district attorney, to issue a rendition on another state, demanding return of a fugitive to Massachusetts.  He is also authorized, upon written demand by another state, to surrender a person who allegedly committed a crime in that state.  By law, one copy of each rendition with its attachments is filed in the Office of the Secretary of State, currently and more specifically in the Public Records Division. –Information includes name of fugitive, description of offense, jurisdiction seeking return, and signature of governor.  Files may contain correspondence, certified copies of bills of indictment, affidavits, criminal complaints, warrants for arrest, and other documents that provide verification of the rendition. –For a listing of related series see: Massachusetts. Office of the Secretary of State. Records of commissions, proclamations, pardons, and other official documents, 1713-1945 (bulk 1747-1936) ((M-Ar)161X)
Arrangement: In two subseries: (1) Requisitions on other states  (2) Requisitions from other states; arranged within each subseries chronologically by fiscal year, thereunder alphabetically by surname of subject individual
Notes: Also known as: Extraditions
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Scope and Content: The state secretary is custodian of the seal of the Commonwealth (MGLA c 9, s 11) and issues regulations for its proper use and display (MGLA c 2, s 5; c 264, ss 5-6), as administered by the secretary’s Public Records Division (950 CMR 34.10).  Series is created by the division to respond to inquiries regarding such use and display.
Arrangement: Arranged in part chronologically
Notes: 1982 files missing
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