Massachusetts Civil Defense Act (Chapter 639 of the Acts of 1950)

This act concerns civil defense and emergency management. Specifically, it provides for the creation of the Massachusetts emergency management agency and office of emergency preparedness; construction of fallout shelters and its standards; designation of nuclear power plant areas; creation of defense council, and its membership and duties; powers and duties of governor, generally; proclamation of state of emergency, power to seize or possess personal and real property, awards to owners of seized property; cooperation with federal and sister state authorities; additional powers of governor during state of emergency; executive orders, general regulations, and written instructions of governor, violations, penalties; entrance upon private property to enforce certain laws, rules, regulations, etc.; auxiliary firemen and police; civil defense claims board, indemnification of auxiliary forces and volunteers, survivor benefits, and procedure in filing claims; immunity from civil liability for commonwealth, political subdivisions or persons engaged in civil defense activities; immunity from civil liability for owner of real estate or premises used to shelter persons during enemy attack; establishment of local civil defense organizations, duties, powers of political subdivisions during disasters; local civil defense organizations to render mutual aid; appropriations by political subdivisions for local civil defense organizations, administration of district courts and municipal court of city of Boston during state of emergency, transfer of matters from Boston juvenile court; and expenditure of appropriations by the Massachusetts emergency management agency.