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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 565 FILED ON: 1/13/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1533
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Kenneth I. Gordon
_________________
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 amending the victim of violent crime compensation law.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Kenneth I. Gordon21st Middlesex1/10/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 565 FILED ON: 1/13/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1533
By Representative Gordon of Bedford, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1533) of
Kenneth I. Gordon for legislation to provide certain persons who were abused as a child with
compensation from the Division of Victim Compensation and Assistance within the Department
of the Attorney General. The Judiciary.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1619 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act amending the victim of violent crime compensation law.
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 258C of the General Laws, as most recently amended by Section
2109 of Chapter 256 of the Acts of 2010, is hereby amended by inserting after the second sentence
3in section 2 (b), the following sentence:
4 In the case of a claimant who was sexually abused as a minor, such good cause shall
5include the report of a duly licensed mental health professional stating an opinion that the
6claimant did not make the connection between the sexual abuse and the harm suffered by the
7claimant at the time the abuse occurred, and that claimant's failure to make the connection was
8consistent with the typical responses by such victims of childhood sexual abuse. 2 of 2
9 SECTION 2. Chapter 258C of the General Laws, as most recently amended by Section
10127 of Chapter 176 of the Acts of 2008, is hereby amended by inserting after section 5 (a) (1) the
11following:
12 In the case of a claimant who was sexually abused as a minor, said three years shall
13commence to run when the claimant first makes the connection between the sexual abuse and the
14harm suffered by the claimant as a result. The report of a duly licensed mental health
15professional stating an opinion as to the date when the claimant first made the connection
16between the sexual abuse and the harm suffered by the claimant, and that the claimant's failure to
17make the connection prior to that date was consistent with the typical responses by such victims
18of childhood sexual abuse, shall be prima facie evidence in all proceedings under this chapter.