1 of 1
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2849 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1419
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Tackey Chan
_________________
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 protecting bank employees and customers.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Tackey Chan2nd Norfolk1/19/2023 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2849 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1419
By Representative Chan of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1419) of Tackey
Chan relative to the punishment for bank robbery. The Judiciary.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1896 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
_______________
An Act protecting bank employees and customers.
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 40a of Chapter 93 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding after the last sentence in the first paragraph the
3following new sentence:– Action taken under this section may be brought before the court where
4either the plaintiff or defendant lives or has a place of business or employment.
5 SECTION 2. Section 17 of Chapter 265 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
6amended by striking out said section and inserting in place thereof the following new section:–
7Section 17. Whoever, being armed with a dangerous weapon, assaults another and robs, steals or
8takes from his person money or other property which may be the subject of larceny shall be
9punished by imprisonment in the state prison for life or for any term of years; provided, however,
10that any person who commits any offense described herein while masked or disguised or while 2 of 3
11having his features artificially distorted, shall, for the first offense be sentenced to imprisonment
12for not less than 5 years and for any subsequent offense for not less than 10 years. Whoever
13commits any offense described herein while armed with a firearm, shotgun, rifle, machine gun or
14assault weapon or displays what appears to be a firearm, improvised explosive device or other
15deadly weapon, hypodermic needle or any other device that may cause or is intended to inflict
16bodily injury or commits a robbery within and against a banking institution as defined in section
171 of Chapter 167A or a credit union as defined in section 1 of Chapter 171 shall be punished by
18imprisonment in the state prison for not less than 5 years. Any person who commits a
19subsequent offense while armed with a firearm, shotgun, rifle, machine gun or assault weapon or
20displays what appears to be a firearm, improvised explosive device or other deadly weapon,
21hypodermic needle or any other device that may cause or is intended to inflict bodily injury or
22commits a robbery within and against a banking institution as defined in section 1 of Chapter
23167A or a credit union as defined in section 1 of Chapter 171 shall be punished by imprisonment
24in the state prison for not less than 15 years.
25 SECTION 3. Section 19 of said chapter 265 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is
26hereby amended by striking out subsection (b) and inserting in place thereof the following
27subsection (b):–Whoever, not being armed with a dangerous weapon, by force and violence, or
28by assault and putting in fear, robs, steals or takes from the person of another, or from his
29immediate control, money or other property which may be the subject of larceny, including
30attempted robbery of a bank as defined in section 1 of Chapter 167A or a credit union as defined
31in section 1 of Chapter 171 shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for life or for
32any term of not less than 30 months. 3 of 3
33 SECTION 4. Section 30 of Chapter 266 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is further
34amended by adding to the end of paragraph (1) the following new sentence:– If the larceny
35involved monies received through the uttering of a forged, altered or counterfeit check, draft or
36order for the payment of money from any bank or other depository, action may be taken before
37either the court having jurisdiction where the uttering took place or where the payee bank or
38other depository’s main office is located.
39 SECTION 5. Section 37 of said chapter 266 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is
40hereby amended by adding the following sentence to the end of said section:– Action taken
41under this jurisdiction where the crime was committed or where the main office of the bank or
42other depository are located.