Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H1800 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. 3516 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1800
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Bradley H. Jones, Jr.
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 establishing a special commission on check washing crimes.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Bradley H. Jones, Jr.20th Middlesex1/17/2025Kimberly N. Ferguson1st Worcester1/17/2025Paul K. Frost7th Worcester1/31/2025Todd M. Smola1st Hampden3/10/2025 1 of 2
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3516 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1800
18	18	By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1800) of
19	19	Bradley H. Jones, Jr. and others for an investigation by a special commission (including
20	20	members of the General Court) relative to deterring and prosecuting check washing crimes. The
21	21	Judiciary.
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
25	25	(2025-2026)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act establishing a special commission on check washing crimes.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 SECTION 1. There is hereby established a special legislative commission to identify
31	31	2ways the commonwealth can more effectively deter and prosecute check washing crimes. For the
32	32	3purposes of this section, “check washing” shall be defined as the act of intercepting a check or
33	33	4money order and chemically or otherwise altering the check or money order to change the name
34	34	5of the payee, the dollar amount, or both and fraudulently cashing or depositing, or attempting to
35	35	6cash or deposit, the check or money order.
36	36	7 The commission shall consist of the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on
37	37	8financial services, who shall co-chair the commission and convene its first meeting within 60
38	38	9days of the effective date of this act; the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on
39	39	10consumer protection and professional licensure; one member appointed by the senate president;
40	40	11one member appointed by the senate minority leader; one member appointed by the house
41	41	12speaker; one member appointed by the house minority leader; the commissioner of banks or their 2 of 2
42	42	13designee; a representative from the Massachusetts bankers association; the secretary of public
43	43	14safety and security or their designee; a representative from the Massachusetts chiefs of police
44	44	15association; and two members appointed by the governor, one of whom shall be a retired postal
45	45	16worker or postmaster and one of whom shall have a minimum of five years of federal law
46	46	17enforcement experience.
47	47	18 The commission may convene one or more hearings to solicit input from the public. In
48	48	19conducting its investigation, the commission shall consider, but not be limited to: identifying
49	49	20ways to better protect consumers from falling victim to check washing schemes; determining
50	50	21appropriate penalties for those who engage in check washing; and identifying more effective
51	51	22means of prosecuting check washing crimes.
52	52	23 The commission shall file a report containing its findings, along with any legislative
53	53	24recommendations, with the clerk of the house and the clerk of the senate on or before June 30,
54	54	252026.