Criminal Justice in Massachusetts

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 415: An Act relative to restraining orders as they pertain to hate crimes

HD 415 revises the legal definition of "harassment" to include three or more malicious acts causing fear, intimidation, or property damage, or specific criminal acts like sexual assault or violations of certain sections of the criminal code. It also updates penalties for hate crime assaults and batteries, making it a crime to assault someone or damage their property with the intent to intimidate based on race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, punishable by up to $5,000 in fines or 2.5 years in jail. These changes directly affect law enforcement, courts, and individuals involved in hate crime cases by expanding the legal framework for prosecution. The bill focuses on clarifying definitions and penalties for hate-motivated violence, without addressing restraining order procedures.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Civil Rights Domestic Violence Violent Crime

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 1245: An Act relative to critical incident intervention by emergency service providers

This bill amends an existing law to explicitly include police dispatchers and 911 operators under critical incident intervention programs for emergency service providers. It directly affects these communication professionals by expanding their coverage under current protections. The key mechanism is a simple textual addition to Section 20O of Chapter 233, inserting "police dispatcher or 911 operator" after "firefighter" in the law. No new requirements or funding are introduced - only a clarification of who is covered.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Policing

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 1050: An Act relative to judicial security

This bill, the Massachusetts Judicial Security Act (HD 1050), protects judges and their immediate family members (spouses, children, or parents living with them) by restricting the public sharing of their personal information, such as home addresses, phone numbers, and Social Security numbers. It requires state, county, and municipal agencies to remove such information from public internet posts within 72 hours of a written request from a judge or family member. The bill also prohibits data brokers and other entities from selling, sharing, or displaying this information online without explicit permission, mandating removal within 72 hours of a request and banning transfers to third parties. Violators face lawsuits seeking court orders to stop the disclosure and must cover the affected person’s legal costs and attorney fees.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Technology

Sub-Topics Judges Data Privacy

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 1869: An Act relative to children’s advocacy centers and the Massachusetts children’s alliance

This bill creates the Massachusetts Children's Alliance as a statewide organization to support children's advocacy centers (CACs) across Massachusetts. It requires CACs to meet specific national accreditation standards, including having multidisciplinary teams (law enforcement, medical, mental health, etc.) that provide coordinated, trauma-informed services to child abuse victims and their families. The Alliance will fund CACs, manage data collection, and ensure centers follow protocols for forensic interviews and victim support to reduce duplication and trauma. These changes directly affect all CACs in the state, ensuring consistent, high-quality responses to child maltreatment cases.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Mental Health

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 770: An Act to stop profiling transgender people and low-income women

This bill amends Massachusetts law to create legal immunity for individuals reporting crimes. It adds a new provision (Section 34B) stating that people reporting crimes cannot be prosecuted for minor offenses like drug possession or sex work if those offenses were discovered while reporting the crime. The bill removes outdated language about "common night walkers" and "street walkers" from existing statutes and repeals another section. It directly affects people who might hesitate to report crimes due to fear of being charged for unrelated minor violations. The key change is the protection for crime reporters from prosecution for specific minor offenses linked to their report.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Drug Policy

introduced · Massachusetts · Senate

SD 211: An Act updating the wiretap statutes in the commonwealth

This bill (SD 211) updates Massachusetts wiretap laws to clarify when law enforcement may use electronic surveillance. It requires judicial oversight for intercepting communications related to specific serious crimes, including both organized crime offenses (like firearms trafficking and extortion) and non-organized violent crimes (such as murder, rape, and human trafficking). The bill defines "wire communication" broadly to cover modern devices like smartphones while exempting body cameras worn by officers and vehicle cameras during traffic stops. It also prohibits private citizens from secretly using surveillance devices and specifies that law enforcement must limit surveillance to designated offenses under court supervision.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Human Trafficking

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 1756: An Act relative to saving lives through awareness and enactment

HD 1756 establishes a voluntary organ and tissue donation program for incarcerated individuals in Massachusetts. It allows people in state correctional facilities to donate blood, organs, or tissue to a recipient of their choice, with no monetary compensation, sentence reduction, or other incentives permitted. The bill requires the Department of Correction to handle administrative logistics (like transportation to approved medical centers) while all medical evaluations, procedures, and care must be managed exclusively by certified transplant centers. This policy directly affects incarcerated individuals and aims to facilitate life-saving donations through a structured, medically supervised process. The law would take effect upon enactment, requiring the Commissioner to create implementing regulations.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Healthcare

introduced · Massachusetts · Senate

SD 472: An Act expanding access to mental health services and strengthening risk assessment protocols

SD 472 expands who can initiate emergency mental health hospitalization by adding licensed mental health counselors to the list of professionals authorized to request a 3-day hold for individuals posing a risk of serious harm to themselves or others. The bill amends Chapter 123 to include licensed mental health counselors alongside physicians, psychologists, and clinical social workers when evaluating emergency cases, and allows them to apply directly for hospitalization. It also updates provisions to include counselors in police officer protocols for emergency referrals. This change directly affects mental health counselors by granting them new authority in crisis situations and impacts individuals in acute mental health crises by expanding access to emergency evaluation. The bill modifies existing emergency protocols without creating new services or funding.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Policing Mental Health

introduced · Massachusetts · Senate

SD 645: An Act relative to rape by an officer

This bill amends Massachusetts law to clarify the definition of "control" in rape cases involving law enforcement officers. It specifies that "control" includes officers supervising minors in training, interacting with people during investigations, communicating arrest powers (even if not lawful), or using coercion while acting under law enforcement authority. The change directly affects cases where officers allegedly commit rape by exploiting their position of authority. This definition update makes it easier to prosecute officers for rape by explicitly covering their official interactions and threats of enforcement actions.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 1355: An Act relative to protecting domestic violence victims

This bill amends Massachusetts law to strengthen protections for domestic violence victims by altering the legal consequences for illegal entry into dwellings. It requires anyone who illegally enters a home (knowing people are present) to immediately retreat; failure to retreat forfeits their right to sue occupants for injuries. If minors are present during the illegal entry, the entrant faces a minimum 5-year prison sentence for conviction, and must retreat immediately. The bill also imposes severe penalties (20+ years or life imprisonment) for illegal entry involving weapons, force, or injury to occupants. These changes directly affect domestic violence victims and their homes by shifting legal responsibility to intruders.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence

All criminal justice bills