An Act criminalizing sexual assault of a passenger by a rideshare operator

HD 1804 creates new criminal offenses in Massachusetts law for sexual misconduct by rideshare operators against passengers during a ride. It specifically defines "indecent assault and battery" (punishable by up to 5 years in prison) and "rape" (punishable by up to 20 years in prison) when committed by a rideshare driver during a ride. The bill establishes that passengers are deemed incapable of consenting to sexual contact during the ride period, which begins when the driver accepts the ride request and ends when the passenger exits the vehicle. This directly affects rideshare drivers operating through transportation network companies and their passengers in Massachusetts.