Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H1609 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. 880 FILED ON: 1/13/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1609
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Tackey Chan
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 regulating sex offender registration in the 21st century.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Tackey Chan2nd Norfolk1/13/2025Michael MorrisseyOffice of the Norfolk District Attorney,
16	16	45 Shawmut Road, Canton, MA 02021
17	17	1/13/2025 1 of 4
18	18	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 880 FILED ON: 1/13/2025
19	19	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1609
20	20	By Representative Chan of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1609) of Tackey
21	21	Chan and Michael Morrissey for legislation to further regulate sex offender registration. The
22	22	Judiciary.
23	23	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
24	24	SEE HOUSE, NO. 1417 OF 2023-2024.]
25	25	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
26	26	_______________
27	27	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
28	28	(2025-2026)
29	29	_______________
30	30	An Act regulating sex offender registration in the 21st century.
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 178C of Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
34	34	2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the definition of “Agency”, the following
35	35	3new definition:- “Electronic alias, address and domain”, any electronic mail, website
36	36	4registrations, messaging and chat service aliases, websites and domains either personally owned
37	37	5and operated or otherwise owned and operated by a third party with the purpose of displaying,
38	38	6soliciting or otherwise posting information, entries and aliases associated with either web-based
39	39	7applications and databases, or aliases used and/or stored on personal computers that may be
40	40	8transmitted for use during any communication. 2 of 4
41	41	9 SECTION 2. Section 178D of Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
42	42	10Official Edition, is hereby amended in subparagraph (a) by inserting after the words “aliases
43	43	11used,” in line 12 the following:- all electronic aliases, addresses and domains,
44	44	12 SECTION 3. Section 178D of chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
45	45	13further amended in the second paragraph by striking out, in line 40, clause (i), and inserting in
46	46	14place thereof the following new clause:- (i) the name of the sex offender, and the offender’s
47	47	15electronic aliases, addresses and domains;
48	48	16 SECTION 4. Section 178E of Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
49	49	17further amended by inserting after the words “the sex offender’s name,” in lines 38-39 the
50	50	18following:- all electronic aliases, addresses and domains,
51	51	19 SECTION 5. Section 178E of Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
52	52	20further amended by inserting after the words “failure to do so” in line 71 the following:- to give
53	53	21notice of a change of electronic alias, address or domain, or the addition of an electronic alias,
54	54	22address or domain and the penalties for failure to do so,
55	55	23 SECTION 6. Section 178E of Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
56	56	24further amended in paragraph (b) by inserting after the words “sex offender’s name,” in line 82
57	57	25the following:- all electronic aliases, addresses and domains,
58	58	26 SECTION 7. Section 178E of Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
59	59	27further amended in paragraph (c) by inserting after the words “sex offender’s name,” in lines
60	60	28118-119 the following:- all electronic aliases, addresses and domains, 3 of 4
61	61	29 SECTION 8. Section 178E of Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
62	62	30further amended in paragraph (g) by inserting after the words “sex offender’s name,” in lines
63	63	31172-173 the following:- all electronic aliases, addresses and domains,
64	64	32 SECTION 9. Section 178E of Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
65	65	33further amended in paragraph (h) by inserting after the words “sex offender’s name,” in line 192
66	66	34the following:- all electronic aliases, addresses and domains,
67	67	35 SECTION 10. Section 178E of Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is
68	68	36hereby further amended in paragraph (l) by inserting after the words “sex offender’s name,” in
69	69	37line 243 the following:- all electronic aliases, addresses and domains,
70	70	38 SECTION 11. Section 178E of Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is
71	71	39hereby further amended in paragraph (o) by inserting after the words “sex offender’s name,” in
72	72	40line 279 the following:- all electronic aliases, addresses and domains,
73	73	41 SECTION 12. Section 178E of Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is
74	74	42hereby further amended in paragraph (q) by inserting after the words “the student’s name,” in
75	75	43line 307 the following:- all electronic aliases, addresses and domains,
76	76	44 SECTION 13. Section 178F of Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
77	77	45further amended in the first paragraph by inserting after the words “sex offender’s name,” in line
78	78	467 the following:- all electronic aliases, addresses and domains,
79	79	47 SECTION 14. Section 178F of Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
80	80	48further amended in the first paragraph by inserting after the words “sex offender’s name,” in line
81	81	4919 the following:- all electronic aliases, addresses and domains, 4 of 4
82	82	50 SECTION 15. Section 178H of Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
83	83	51further amended in paragraph (a) by striking out, in line 3, clause (iii), and inserting in place
84	84	52thereof the following new clause:- (iii) fails to provide notice of a change of address, and fails to
85	85	53give notice of a change of electronic alias, address or domain, or the addition of an electronic
86	86	54alias, address or domain;
87	87	55 SECTION 16. Section 178J of Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
88	88	56further amended in clause (1) of paragraph (b) by inserting after the words “specific individual
89	89	57by name” in line 28 the following:- , electronic alias, address or domain
90	90	58 SECTION 17. Section 178J of Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
91	91	59further amended in paragraph (c) by striking out, in line 50, clause (1), and inserting in place
92	92	60thereof the following new clause:- (1) the name of the sex offender, and the offender’s electronic
93	93	61aliases, addresses, and domains;
94	94	62 SECTION 18. Section 178K of Chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby
95	95	63further amended in subparagraph (c) of paragraph (2) by striking out, in line 159, clause (i), and
96	96	64inserting in place thereof the following new clause:- (i) the name of the sex offender, and the
97	97	65offender’s electronic aliases, addresses and domains;