S 949 Massachusetts Senate · 193rd Legislature (2023-2024)

An Act addressing discriminatory police reporting

This bill creates new legal consequences for individuals who falsely call the police or summon officers based on discriminatory beliefs about a person's race, religion, gender, or other protected characteristics. It establishes a private civil lawsuit option that allows victims to seek damages or court orders to stop future harassment, even without proving they suffered specific financial or physical injury. Additionally, the law strengthens existing criminal penalties by adding a specific charge for making false reports motivated by bias, punishable by fines, jail time, or both. The legislation defines a false call as one made when a reasonable person would not suspect a crime or immediate danger exists, ensuring that only baseless and biased reports trigger these new liabilities.
Bill status passed 3 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2023
Committee Review
Feb 2023
House Passage
Feb 2023
Governor
Introduced Feb 16, 2023 Last action Feb 8, 2024
Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the House. No roll call record of that vote is available.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
4
Key actions
1
Committee
1
Feb 16, 2023
House · Passed
House concurred
Feb 16, 2023
Senate · Referred to committee
Referred to the committee on The Judiciary
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors