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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1296 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1774
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Alyson M. Sullivan-Almeida
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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 prohibiting name-changing for registered sex offenders.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Alyson M. Sullivan-Almeida7th Plymouth1/18/2023Michael J. Soter8th Worcester1/26/2023Joseph D. McKenna18th Worcester1/31/2023David F. DeCoste5th Plymouth2/9/2023Alan Silvia7th Bristol2/10/2023Donald R. Berthiaume, Jr.5th Worcester2/15/2023Carol A. Doherty3rd Bristol2/20/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1296 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1774
By Representative Sullivan-Almeida of Abington, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
1774) of Alyson M. Sullivan-Almeida and others relative to prohibiting registered sex offenders
from changing names. The Judiciary.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1884 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 prohibiting name-changing for registered sex offenders.
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 178E of chapter 6 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:-
3 (r) A sex offender required to register pursuant to sections 178C to 178P, inclusive, shall
4not hold him or herself out under any other name except the name by which such sex offender
5registered under this section.
6 SECTION 2. Section 178H of said chapter 6, as so appearing, is hereby amended by
7inserting, in line 4, after the word “information” the following words:- ; or (v) fails to comply
8with subsection (r) of section 178E. 2 of 2
9 SECTION 3. Section 1D of chapter 46 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
10amended by adding the following paragraph:-
11 A party to a marriage who is a sex offender as defined in section 178C of chapter 6 may
12not adopt or use any other surname than that which such party is required to register pursuant to
13sections 178C to 178P, inclusive of said chapter 6.
14 SECTION 4. Section 12 of chapter 210 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
15amended by adding the following sentence:- No change of name shall be granted for a person
16listed as a sex offender on the sex offender registry under section 178D of chapter 6.