Rep. Colleen Garry

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Massachusetts divorce laws to establish a legal presumption that parents should share both legal and physical custody of their minor children unless specific exceptions apply. Under the new rules, courts must assume equal parenting rights for both parents unless there is evidence of emergency conditions, abuse, or neglect that would harm the child. Judges are required to provide written findings to justify any order granting sole custody to one parent rather than shared custody. Additionally, the law clarifies that changes in a parent's availability or a child's developmental stage are automatically considered significant reasons to update a parenting schedule.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows the mother of a child conceived through rape to petition a court to terminate the perpetrator's parental rights. It applies to both married women and unmarried mothers, permitting them to file these petitions at any time. The law establishes that a guilty plea or conviction for rape serves as conclusive proof that the child was conceived via the offense, and it presumes that ending the perpetrator's parental rights is in the child's best interest.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Massachusetts child custody laws to protect parents who are called to active military duty. It prevents courts from penalizing military parents for missing custody visits or relocating due to deployment, mobilization, or temporary duty assignments. When a military parent must move far away or cannot attend hearings in person, the court can issue temporary orders or delegate parenting time to a trusted family member to keep the child connected to both parents. The legislation also defines specific military terms like deployment and mobilization to ensure these protections apply correctly.

Maddy summaryThis bill aims to require blood testing for drivers involved in motor vehicle accidents that cause personal injury or death, even if they are not arrested. It modifies existing Massachusetts laws to remove the requirement that a person must be under arrest for a blood test to be conducted and allows police to proceed with testing during the accident itself. The changes apply to various sections of the state's vehicle code to ensure that evidence of impairment can be collected promptly in serious crash situations.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes to amend Massachusetts law to include a specific category of manslaughter for deaths resulting from reckless disregard of life during protests or highway blockades. It directly affects individuals organizing or participating in demonstrations that involve obstructing roadways and those responsible for the safety of such events. The key provision adds the phrase "or manslaughter caused by reckless disregard of life while protesting or blocking highway or roadway access" to the existing definition of manslaughter in state statutes. By making this change, the legislation aims to ensure that fatalities occurring under these specific protest conditions are treated with the same legal severity as other forms of manslaughter.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to clarify when a court can order the removal of a child from their home. It requires judges to find that removing the child provides a direct benefit that outweighs any harm, such as losing regular contact with the non-custodial parent. The change directly affects family court proceedings involving child custody and safety cases. By adding this specific standard, the legislation aims to ensure that removals occur only when the child's well-being is clearly improved.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits Massachusetts courts from ordering unsupervised visitation for parents convicted of specific crimes against children, including sexual abuse and other offenses listed in state statutes. Under the new rules, a judge can only grant unsupervised visitation if the child is of a suitable age, agrees to the arrangement, and a guardian ad litem determines that such contact serves the child's best interest. The law directly affects family court proceedings involving parents with criminal records who seek to maintain contact with their children. By adding these restrictions to existing child welfare laws, the legislation aims to prioritize child safety while still allowing for supervised visitation when appropriate.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires parents involved in paternity cases to finish a court-approved parent education program. It directly affects individuals facing paternity proceedings in Massachusetts Probate and Family Court. The law mandates this completion as a condition of the legal process, ensuring parents participate in an educational course before or during the case. This change aims to standardize parental involvement in education within specific family court contexts.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Massachusetts law to restrict visitation and custody rights for parents convicted of or facing charges for specific sexual offenses against their children. It directly affects cases where a parent has been found guilty or cleared without a finding of crimes such as rape or incest, preventing them from automatically obtaining court-ordered access to a child conceived during the crime. The legislation establishes that these parents can only gain visitation or custody if a judge determines it is in the child's best interests and the mother explicitly agrees to the arrangement. Importantly, the bill clarifies that denying parental rights does not stop the perpetrator from being ordered to pay child support or from the child inheriting from them. It also ensures that a lack of conviction does not automatically prove the crime did not happen, requiring clear and convincing evidence for any legal determination.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as "Christina's Law," amends Massachusetts laws regarding driving under the influence to clarify that any substance impairing a driver's ability to operate a vehicle safely constitutes a violation, rather than listing specific drug types. It establishes that chemical test results are admissible in court only if the driver consented to the test, received the results immediately, and was given the opportunity to have an independent test conducted at their own expense. Additionally, the legislation restricts blood draws to licensed medical professionals and prohibits the use of a driver's refusal to consent as evidence against them in criminal or civil cases, though such refusal remains admissible in administrative license suspension proceedings.