1 of 1
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1967 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1478
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Tricia Farley-Bouvier
_________________
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 to amend the civil rights law, in relation to reporting a non-emergency incident involving
a member of a protected class.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Tricia Farley-Bouvier2nd Berkshire1/19/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/1/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1967 FILED ON: 1/19/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1478
By Representative Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
1478) of Tricia Farley-Bouvier and Vanna Howard relative to reporting non-emergency incidents
involving members of protected classes. The Judiciary.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1561 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
_______________
An Act to amend the civil rights law, in relation to reporting a non-emergency incident involving
a member of a protected class.
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. Chapter 265 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
2Section 59 the following section:-
3 SECTION 60. FALSE POLICE CLAIMS RELATING TO A MEMBER OF THE
4PROTECTED CLASS; PENALTIES.
5 SECTION 60. (a) Any person who intentionally selects a person or property for harm or
6causes damage to the property of another or causes physical injury or death to another or
7summons a police officer or peace officer without reason to suspect a violation of the penal law,
8any other criminal conduct, or an imminent threat to a person or property, in whole or in
9substantial part because of a belief or perception regarding the race, color, national origin, 2 of 2
10ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, age, disability or sexual orientation of a person,
11regardless of whether the belief or perception is correct, shall be liable, in a civil action or
12proceeding maintained by such individual or group of individuals, for injunctive relief, damages,
13or any other appropriate relief in law or equity. If it shall appear to the satisfaction of the court or
14justice that the respondent has, in fact, violated this section, an injunction may be issued by such
15court or justice, enjoining and restraining any further violation, without requiring proof that any
16person has, in fact, been injured or damaged thereby. For the purposes of this subdivision, a
17person lacks reason to suspect a violation of the penal law, any other criminal conduct, or an
18imminent threat to a person or property where a reasonable person would not suspect such
19violation, conduct, or threat.