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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 709 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1791
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Chynah Tyler
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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 protecting the safety of victims of violent crimes.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Chynah Tyler7th Suffolk1/17/2023Andrea Joy CampbellAttorney General, One Ashburton
Place, Boston, MA 02108
1/20/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 709 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1791
By Representative Tyler of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1791) of Chynah
Tyler and Andrea Joy Campbell relative to protecting the safety of victims of violent crimes.
The Judiciary.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1906 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 protecting the safety of victims of violent crimes.
Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to
protect the safety of victims of violent crimes by ensuring records and information received,
obtained or maintained by the division in connection with any claim for crime victim
compensation shall be confidential and privileged, and shall not be disclosed by the division or
by anyone who receives such records or information from the division, therefore it is hereby
declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public safety.
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 appearing in the 2018 Official
2Edition, is amended by adding the following new section:-
3 Section 15. (a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, all records and information
4received, obtained or maintained by the division in connection with any claim for crime victim
5compensation shall be confidential and privileged, and shall not be disclosed by the division or
6by anyone who receives such records or information from the division. (b) Nothing in this 2 of 2
7section shall preclude disclosure of records or information: (1) for the processing of a claim by
8the division or responding to an action in court seeking review of a decision by the division, at
9the sole discretion of the attorney general or her designee; (2) consisting of information
10exchanged between the claimant or his or her authorized representative and the division,
11provided that the claimant or his or her authorized representative consents to such disclosure in
12writing; (3) in response to a request for information for legitimate criminal justice purposes, at
13the sole discretion of the attorney general or her designee; (4) to the extent required by rules of
14criminal procedure governing mandatory discovery, or the production or introduction into
15evidence of exculpatory or statutorily privileged records; or (5) upon a lawful order issued by a
16court of competent jurisdiction.