Rep. Brad Jones

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts laws to create stricter penalties for parents or guardians who fail to report a child under 14 as missing or deceased. It requires anyone caring for a child to notify law enforcement within two hours of discovering the child's death or within five days of finding the child missing, but only if the caregiver intends to mislead officials, stop an investigation, or causes an investigation to be delayed. The legislation increases the maximum prison sentence for these specific failures from two and a half years to ten years in state prison. Additionally, the bill raises the maximum penalties for other related offenses under existing child protection laws, increasing sentences from two and a half years to ten years and from five years to fifteen years.

Maddy summaryThis bill strengthens protections for vulnerable individuals in Massachusetts by updating the rules for guardianship proceedings. It requires that notices sent to those potentially under guardianship inform them of their right to legal representation and their ability to attend hearings in person. The law also mandates that appointed guardians be certified by a specific commission within six months of their appointment. Additionally, the bill clarifies that guardians must disclose and pay for their own professional fees and related expenses from their own funds rather than charging them to the incapacitated person's estate. These changes aim to increase transparency and accountability in the guardianship system while ensuring affected individuals have access to legal support.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Massachusetts Board of Parole to provide specific information about registered sex offenders directly to victims who have enrolled in victim services. Under the new provision, victims would receive details including the offender's final classification, home address, secondary address, work address, and school location upon request. The change aims to give victims clearer access to data about where offenders live and work, allowing them to better assess safety risks. It applies specifically to the state's sex offender registry system and the victim services unit within the board.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes mandatory post-release supervision for individuals released from incarceration in Massachusetts, requiring them to serve a period of oversight after their prison or jail term ends. The supervision period is calculated as 25 percent of the maximum sentence imposed, with a minimum of nine months, and is administered by either the parole board or the office of the commissioner of probation depending on the length of the original sentence. Key provisions include exemptions for those who successfully complete probation or parole, rules for calculating the supervision term for multiple offenses, and a pathway for early termination after nine months if the individual meets specific criteria such as securing employment and housing. The legislation also directs state officials to create uniform regulations for supervision and sets joint standards for early release based on factors like treatment completion and testing results.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a statewide registry in Massachusetts to track individuals convicted of animal abuse crimes. Under the new law, anyone aged 18 or older found guilty of violating animal cruelty statutes must register with the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services within ten days of their conviction or release from prison. The registry will collect personal details such as the offender's name, address, crime description, and a photograph, and the registrant must pay an annual $50 fee to cover administrative costs. Convicted individuals must update their information if their address changes or submit an annual update, with the registration requirement lasting for five years or longer if additional convictions occur.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new crime of fetal homicide in Massachusetts, allowing prosecutors to charge individuals separately for causing the death or serious physical injury to a fetus. The law defines a "child in utero" as a human being at any stage of development carried in the womb and specifies that "bodily injury" includes significant physical harm such as broken bones or internal organ damage. Punishment for violating this new section would be the same as if the injury or death had occurred to the pregnant woman, without requiring proof that the offender knew the victim was pregnant or intended to harm the fetus. The legislation explicitly prohibits using these provisions to prosecute abortions performed with the pregnant woman's consent or any medical treatment provided to the mother or her unborn child.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the definition of online enticement under Massachusetts law to include a broader range of communication methods. It directly affects individuals who might attempt to lure children by updating the statute to explicitly cover personal contact, postal mail, telephone calls, instant messaging, and email. The key mechanism is an amendment to an existing section of the General Laws that lists these specific ways someone can invite a child to meet them. By adding these methods to the legal definition, the bill ensures that various forms of digital and traditional communication are treated as potential tools for enticement. This change aims to close potential gaps in how the law currently addresses the solicitation of minors online.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to amend Massachusetts law to require that private or commercial eminent domain takings award property owners at least 200% of the fair market value. It directly affects individuals and businesses whose land is taken by the government for private development projects. The key provision mandates a minimum payment standard that is double the current fair market value calculation for these specific types of takings. This change would apply immediately upon the bill's passage and would alter the compensation requirements for future eminent domain cases involving private investment.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the rules for calculating prejudgment interest in Massachusetts courts, which is money awarded to a winning party for the time between a lawsuit filing and the final judgment. Instead of using a fixed 12 percent annual rate, the law would now require courts to calculate interest based on the weekly average yield of one-year U.S. Treasury bonds published by the Federal Reserve. This change directly affects judges, lawyers, and individuals or businesses involved in civil litigation by making interest rates fluctuate with market conditions rather than staying static.

Maddy summaryThis bill removes the requirement for the state to provide free legal representation to indigent individuals during sex offender classification hearings in Massachusetts. Currently, the law allows low-income offenders to have an attorney appointed for them if they cannot afford one, but this measure would eliminate that provision while still permitting defendants to hire their own lawyers if they choose. The changes apply specifically to the administrative boards and courts that determine whether individuals must register as sex offenders and the level of supervision required. By repealing these sections of the General Laws, the legislation ensures that only those who can pay for their own counsel will have legal representation at these proceedings.