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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1333 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1782
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Bradley H. Jones, Jr.
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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 relative to the protection of children.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Bradley H. Jones, Jr.20th Middlesex1/14/2025Kimberly N. Ferguson1st Worcester1/14/2025Paul K. Frost7th Worcester1/31/2025Todd M. Smola1st Hampden3/10/2025Hannah Kane11th Worcester1/31/2025 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1333 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1782
By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1782) of
Bradley H. Jones, Jr. and others relative to the protection of children. The Judiciary.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1581 OF 2023-2024.]
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 relative to the protection of 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 265 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition,
2is hereby amended by inserting after Section 13N the following section:-
3 Section 13O. Failure to Notify Law Enforcement of Missing or Deceased Child
4 For the purposes of this section, the following words shall have the following meanings:-
5 “Person having care and custody”, a parent, guardian, employee of a home or institution
6or any other person with equivalent supervision or care of a child, whether the supervision is
7temporary or permanent.
8 “Child”, any person under 14 years of age. 2 of 3
9 "Law enforcement authority'', any police department in the commonwealth or any of its
10political subdivisions.
11 "Missing child or children'', any person under the age of 14 years missing from his
12normal and ordinary place of residence or last known whereabouts and whose whereabouts
13cannot be determined by the person having care and custody of such child.
14 Whoever, having care and custody of a child, fails to notify a law enforcement authority
15or emergency medical personnel of the death of such child, accidental or otherwise, within 2
16hours of the discovery of such known death and (i) intends to mislead a public official, (ii)
17intends to impede any investigation, or (iii) causes an investigation to be impeded, shall be
18punished by a term of imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 10 years or
19imprisonment in the house of correction for not more than 2 ½ years.
20 Whoever, having care and custody of a child, finds the child missing and fails to notify a
21law enforcement authority of the missing child within 5 days and (i) intends to mislead a public
22official, (ii) intends to impede an investigation, or (iii) causes an investigation to be impeded,
23shall be punished by a term of imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 10 years or
24imprisonment in the house of correction for not more than 2 ½ years.
25 SECTION 2. Section 13J of chapter 265 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
26Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 32 and 33, the words
27 “two and one-half years in the house of correction” and inserting in place thereof the
28following words:- “10 years in the state prison” 3 of 3
29 ; and is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 39, the words “five years” and
30inserting in place thereof the following:- “15 years”
31 ; and is hereby further amended by striking out, in lines 39 and 40, the words “in a jail or
32house of correction for not more than two and one-half years” and inserting in the place thereof
33the following:- “for 10 years in the state prison.”