By Representative LeBoeuf of Worcester, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 4065) of David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf and Patrick Joseph Kearney relative to survivors of domestic violence and enhancing child welfare. The Judiciary.
SD 1050 establishes a special commission to study Massachusetts' response to domestic violence and sexual assault victims, including analyzing current resources and probation systems. It creates specialized domestic violence probation units in courts, requiring each unit to include a dedicated victim advocate from a non-profit organization to serve as a liaison between survivors and probation officers. The bill mandates specialized training for probation officers handling these cases, requires them to monitor batterer's treatment program compliance, and updates procedures for reviewing protection orders to consider substance use recovery. These changes directly affect survivors of domestic violence, probation officers, and court staff handling these cases. The commission must report findings and recommendations by December 2026.
HD 140 creates a new Office of Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls within Massachusetts' public safety department. It establishes an Ebony Alert system (similar to Amber Alerts but for Black women and girls reported missing under suspicious circumstances) and mandates the office to collect and analyze data on missing persons, homicide, trafficking, and domestic violence cases involving Black women and girls. The bill requires the office to track case resolution rates, compare outcomes across demographics, develop recommendations for policy changes, and issue grants to community organizations supporting victims and prevention efforts. This law directly affects Black women and girls in Massachusetts who go missing or are victims of violence, aiming to address systemic gaps in how their cases are handled.
HD 828 requires correctional institutions housing women to provide a written brochure with clear, culturally competent information on women’s health, contraception, and sexually transmitted infections. For female prisoners of child-bearing age, it mandates that at least four months before release, they must be offered contraception counseling, a gynecological exam (including a Pap test), and a choice of contraceptive methods, with a 12-month prescription and referrals for follow-up care upon release. The bill also requires the creation of a monthly health education curriculum covering topics like women’s health, domestic violence, contraception, and infant care, developed with the Department of Public Health and offered regularly to all eligible incarcerated people. These provisions directly affect women in state correctional facilities, aiming to improve health access before and after release.
By Representative Vaughn of Wrentham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2037) of Marcus S. Vaughn relative to domestic abuse protection. The Judiciary.
By Representative DuBois of Brockton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1676) of Michelle M. DuBois for legislation to protect domestic violence and sexual assault victims and survivors. The Judiciary.
HD 1226, known as "Kianna's Law," standardizes domestic violence protection orders in Massachusetts to last exactly one year, replacing vague language about "up to one year." It requires law enforcement to notify victims (and their families when appropriate) when protection orders are served, not served, or expire. The bill also mandates that police enter order details into a public safety system to ensure timely service and adds victim notification rights for order status changes. Additionally, it directs a statewide survey of victim services to identify improvements needed in law enforcement and court support systems. The law directly affects domestic violence victims, defendants, law enforcement, and courts handling abuse prevention cases.
SD 1048 establishes a specialized domestic violence and sexual assault probation unit within Massachusetts court probation departments. The unit requires each court to employ a victim advocate (from an external nonprofit) to support victims who filed complaints under Chapter 209A, handle their complaints against probation officers, and provide information about their rights and case details. It also mandates that probation officers assigned exclusively to these cases complete specialized training on domestic violence and sexual assault, and requires offenders to maintain certified batterer’s treatment programs as a condition of probation. The bill directly affects victims of domestic violence or sexual assault, probation officers handling such cases, and offenders subject to Chapter 209A orders.
HD 3993 allows judges in Superior Court to issue permanent abuse prevention orders at sentencing for certain violent crimes against family, household members, or dating partners. It directly affects victims who already have an active protective order when the defendant is convicted of specific offenses like assault on family members, stalking, rape, or strangulation. The key mechanism eliminates the need for a separate hearing: if the victim already has an active order, the judge can grant a permanent order immediately based on the sentencing case. This applies even if the original order was issued by a different court (like Boston Municipal Court). The bill changes how protective orders are handled, making them permanent without additional court proceedings for qualifying cases.
By Representative Vieira of Falmouth, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2040) of David T. Vieira relative to providing notification to victims and family members of victims when notices of temporary restraining orders or other abuse prevention orders have been successfully served. The Judiciary.
