Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3537 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 841 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3537
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Danillo A. Sena
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act relative to the military family advocacy program, domestic violence and child abuse and
13	13	neglect.
14	14	_______________
15	15	PETITION OF:
16	16	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Danillo A. Sena37th Middlesex1/17/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex1/31/2023 1 of 2
17	17	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 841 FILED ON: 1/17/2023
18	18	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3537
19	19	By Representative Sena of Acton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3537) of Danillo
20	20	A. Sena and Vanna Howard relative to the military family advocacy program, domestic violence
21	21	and child abuse and neglect. Veterans and Federal Affairs.
22	22	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
23	23	SEE HOUSE, NO. 3694 OF 2021-2022.]
24	24	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
25	25	_______________
26	26	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
27	27	(2023-2024)
28	28	_______________
29	29	An Act relative to the military family advocacy program, domestic violence and child abuse and
30	30	neglect.
31	31	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
32	32	of the same, as follows:
33	33	1 Section 1. Section 51B of Chapter 119 of the Generals Laws, as appearing in the 2020
34	34	2Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph (s) to read as follows:
35	35	3 “(s) If a report is accepted as a credible allegation of domestic abuse or child abuse or
36	36	4neglect as defined by the department of children and families, the department shall collect
37	37	5information concerning the military status of the spouse, intimate partner, parent or guardian of
38	38	6the child who is the subject of the report and shall share information about the allegation with the
39	39	7appropriate military authorities in accordance with the memorandum of understanding described
40	40	8in section 51D.” 2 of 2
41	41	9 Section 2. Section 51D of Chapter 119, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is
42	42	10hereby amended by adding the following paragraph immediately following the paragraph
43	43	11beginning with “Each area director shall file a monthly report”:
44	44	12 “Each area director shall, on behalf of the department, enter into a memorandum of
45	45	13understanding with the military family advocacy program at a local military installation with
46	46	14respect to child abuse and neglect investigations. For the purposes of this section, "military
47	47	15family advocacy program" shall mean the program established by the United States Department
48	48	16of Defense to address child abuse and neglect in military families. Such memorandum of
49	49	17understanding shall establish procedures and protocols for matters including, but not limited to,
50	50	18(i) identifying an individual credibly alleged to have committed abuse or neglect as military
51	51	19personnel; (ii) identifying appropriate circumstances for reporting to the military family
52	52	20advocacy program without reducing likelihood of reporting or creating undue risk to the health
53	53	21or wellbeing of the spouse, intimate partner, or child; (iii) reporting to a military family advocacy
54	54	22program when an investigation implicating military personnel has been initiated; and (iv)
55	55	23maintaining confidentiality requirements under state and federal law.”
56	56	24 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.