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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 524 FILED ON: 1/13/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1456
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Marjorie C. Decker
_________________
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 combating misinformation about ex-offender voting rights.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Marjorie C. Decker25th Middlesex1/11/2023Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/20/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 524 FILED ON: 1/13/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1456
By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1456) of
Marjorie C. Decker and Lindsay N. Sabadosa relative to the notification of voter eligibility status
of ex-offenders. The Judiciary.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1532 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
_______________
An Act combating misinformation about ex-offender voting rights.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Chapter 51 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby
2amended by inserting after section 66 the following section:-
3 Section 67. (a) Any person who is convicted of a felony, as defined in section 1 of
4chapter 274, in the commonwealth, but is not sentenced to incarceration in a jail or correctional
5facility, shall be notified in writing by the ruling court, immediately following such conviction
6and sentencing, of his or her voter eligibility, and shall confirm, in writing, that he or she was so
7notified.
8 (b) A probation officer shall immediately notify, in writing, any person that is placed in
9their care, who was convicted of a felony or incarcerated due to a felony conviction, of said 2 of 2
10person’s voter eligibility status, shall provide said person with written information on voter
11eligibility and voter registration, and shall obtain written confirmation from said person that he
12or she was so notified.
13 (c) A parole officer shall immediately notify, in writing, any person that is placed in their
14care, who was incarcerated due to a felony conviction, of said person’s voter eligibility status,
15shall provide said person with written information on voter eligibility and voter registration, and
16shall obtain written confirmation from said person that he or she was so notified.
17 (d) Any person who is incarcerated due to a felony conviction shall, upon release from a
18jail or correctional facility, be notified, in writing, by said jail or facility of his or her voter
19eligibility and provided with written voter eligibility and voter registration information, and shall
20confirm, in writing, that he or she was so notified.
21 (e) The office of the commissioner of probation shall notify, in writing, any person that
22was convicted of a felony by a court of the commonwealth within the period of 10 years prior to
23the effective date of this section, who is not currently incarcerated, of their voter eligibility, shall
24provide said person with written voter eligibility and voter registration information and shall
25obtain written confirmation from said person that he or she was so notified.