Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H1498 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. 4034 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1498
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Michelle M. DuBois
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 to limit criminalization of the homeless.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Michelle M. DuBois10th Plymouth1/17/2025 1 of 2
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4034 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1498
18	18	By Representative DuBois of Brockton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1498) of
19	19	Michelle M. DuBois relative to homelessness. Housing.
20	20	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
21	21	_______________
22	22	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
23	23	(2025-2026)
24	24	_______________
25	25	An Act to limit criminalization of the homeless.
26	26	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
27	27	of the same, as follows:
28	28	1 SECTION 1. Subclause (ii) of clause (3) of subsection (a) of section 172 of chapter 6 of
29	29	2the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the
30	30	3following words:- ; provided, that the department shall not disclose to a requestor evaluating
31	31	4applicants for rental or lease of housing any conviction or pending criminal offender record
32	32	5information related solely to homeless camping, as defined in section 37 of chapter 23B.
33	33	6 SECTION 2. Clause (7) of said subsection (a) of said section 172 of said chapter 6, as so
34	34	7appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “authorities” the following words:- ;
35	35	8provided, that the department shall not disclose any conviction or pending criminal offender
36	36	9record information related solely to homeless camping, as defined in section 37 of chapter 23B.
37	37	10 SECTION 3. Chapter 23B of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the
38	38	11following section:- 2 of 2
39	39	12 Section 37. The term “homeless camping” shall mean pitching, setting up, erecting or
40	40	13occupying a temporary structure on public property for the purposes of maintaining a temporary
41	41	14place to live out of financial necessity by a person who is undomiciled and unable to secure
42	42	15permanent and stable housing.
43	43	16 SECTION 4. Section 21 of chapter 40 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
44	44	17Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-
45	45	18 No city or town shall pass a bylaw or ordinance that affixes a fine on a person for
46	46	19homeless camping, as defined in section 37 of chapter 23B; provided, that a city or town may
47	47	20pass a bylaw or ordinance that authorizes the removal of a person refusing to comply with a
48	48	21lawful notice to vacate public property. No city or town shall require notification to the United
49	49	22States Immigration and Customs Enforcement when a person is issued a citation, arrested or
50	50	23removed for homeless camping.
51	51	24 SECTION 5. Section 123 of chapter 266 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
52	52	25amended by inserting after the word “months”, in line 13, the following words:- ; provided, that
53	53	26a person engaging in homeless camping, as defined in section 37 of chapter 23B, shall not be
54	54	27punished by any fine.
55	55	28 SECTION 6. No city or town shall report a person’s late payment or nonpayment of fines
56	56	29for homeless camping, as defined in section 37 of chapter 23B of the General Laws, to a credit
57	57	30information bureau or other financial institution.