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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 874 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1719
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Edward R. Philips
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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 relative to criminal offender record information checks.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Edward R. Philips8th Norfolk1/11/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 874 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1719
By Representative Philips of Sharon, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1719) of
Edward R. Philips relative to criminal offender record information checks. The Judiciary.
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 relative to criminal offender record information checks.
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 172 of chapter 6 of the General Laws, as most recently amended by section 1 of
2chapter 202 of the acts of 2018, is hereby further amended by adding the following subsection:-
3 (p) (1) Notwithstanding any provision of this section or any other general or special law
4to the contrary, a person may, upon application on a form to be established by the department,
5request that the department return a letter certifying that the person has no available criminal
6offender record information. Within 5 business days of receiving an application pursuant to this
7subsection, the department shall search all available criminal offender record information,
8including conviction data, arrest data, sealed record data and juvenile data, pertaining to that
9person. If the search confirms that there is no available criminal offender record information
10pertaining to that person, the department shall, within 5 business days, send a dated letter to the
11person certifying that there is no available criminal offender record information pertaining to that
12person. 2 of 2
13 (2) Notwithstanding any provision of this section or any other general or special law to
14the contrary, in response to a requestor for a signed acknowledgement form pursuant to
15subsection (c), a subject may provide the requestor with a copy of a certification letter sent by the
16department pursuant to paragraph (1). If the subject provides the requestor with a valid
17certification letter dated by the department within 1 year before provision of the letter to the
18requestor, the requestor shall be considered to have: (i) obtained all available criminal offender
19record information pertaining to that person; and (ii) satisfied any requirement of this chapter or
20any other general or special law to obtain criminal offender record information for that person.