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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3240 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1658
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Marjorie C. Decker
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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 to enhance fairness and increase positive outcomes for children.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Marjorie C. Decker25th Middlesex1/16/2025 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3240 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1658
By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1658) of
Marjorie C. Decker relative to the use of electronic monitoring of juveniles. The Judiciary.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act to enhance fairness and increase positive outcomes for children.
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 119 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section
258B the following section:-
3 Section 58C Global positioning system device worn by juveniles
4 (a) If electronic monitoring is ordered by a judge for a period greater than 30 days, the
5court shall hold a hearing every 30 days, unless waived by the juvenile, to ensure that the
6juvenile does not remain on electronic monitoring for an unreasonable length of time. In
7determining whether a length of time is unreasonable, the court shall consider whether there are
8less restrictive conditions that would achieve the purpose of the bail statute and the rehabilitative
9purpose of the juvenile court. If less restrictive conditions are warranted, the court shall order
10removal of the global positioning system device or modify the terms of the electronic monitoring
11order to achieve the less restrictive alternative. 2 of 3
12 (b) A juvenile shall be entitled to have one day credited against the juvenile’s maximum
13term of confinement for each day, or fraction thereof, that the juvenile is subject to electronic
14monitoring by court order to wear a global positioning system device, or any comparable device.
15 (c) The juvenile court department shall collect data regarding the use of electronic
16monitoring of juveniles and shall report statistical data annually by December 31st to the
17governor, the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on the judiciary, the house and
18senate chairs of the joint committee on public safety and homeland security, the house and senate
19chairs of the committee on children, families and persons with disabilities, the chief justice of the
20supreme judicial court and the chief justice of the trial court. The report, which shall be made
21public pursuant to reporting recommendations of the Juvenile Justice Policy and Data Board as
22required by section 89 of chapter 119, shall include the annual number of juveniles subject to
23electronic monitoring, including all of the following information for each juvenile:
24 (1) The total number of days in a calendar year that the juvenile was subject to electronic
25monitoring.
26 (2) The total number of days in a calendar year that the juvenile was detained for a
27violation of a term of the juvenile’s electronic monitoring order not amounting to a new violation
28of law.
29 (3) The categorical reason the juvenile placed on electronic monitoring:
30 (i) A new violation of law;
31 (ii) A violation of a court order not amounting to a new violation of law; or
32 (iii) A reason not covered by subparagraph (i) or (ii). 3 of 3
33 (4) The case status of the juvenile (indicating whether the youth is placed on electric
34monitoring pretrial or post adjudication.
35 (5) Whether the juvenile’s electronic monitoring order included a home confinement
36order, exclusionary zones, or any other restrictions limiting the juvenile’s liberty to a time or
37place.
38 (6) All of the information described in paragraphs (1) to (5), inclusive, shall be provided
39in such a way as to allow cross tabulated analysis by demographic subgroups including, at a
40minimum, age at the time of offense, sex/gender, gender identity and expression, racial or
41ethnicity category, sexual orientation, charge type and level, geographic location such as county
42or court location, with consideration of the juveniles’ self-reporting of such categories based on
43data reporting standards issued by the Juvenile Justice Policy and Data Board as required by
44section 89 of chapter 119. cross-referenced with information about the age, gender, ethnicity, and
45offense of the juveniles subject to these court actions.