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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1132 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1388
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Bruce J. Ayers
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act establishing a mandatory sentence for destruction, defacement or damage to burial tombs
and grave markers.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Bruce J. Ayers1st Norfolk1/18/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1132 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1388
By Representative Ayers of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1388) of Bruce
J. Ayers that provision be made for a minimum mandatory sentence for the willful destruction of
burial tombs and grave markers. The Judiciary.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1456 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
_______________
An Act establishing a mandatory sentence for destruction, defacement or damage to burial tombs
and grave markers.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 73 of Chapter 272 of the General Laws is hereby amended by
2inserting after the word “not”, as appearing in line 12, the following new text:—“less than one
3thousand dollars and not”.
4 SECTION 2. Section 73 of Chapter 272 of the General Laws is hereby amended by
5adding at the end thereof the following text:—
6 “The sentence imposed under this section shall not be reduced to less than 6 months, nor
7suspended, nor shall any person convicted under this section be eligible for probation, parole or
8furlough or receive any deduction from his sentence for good conduct until he shall have served
9no less than 6 months of such sentence. Prosecutions commenced under this section shall neither 2 of 2
10be continued without a finding nor placed on file. The provisions of section 87-seven of chapter
11276 shall not apply to a person charged with a violation of this section.”