Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H1823 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. 1553 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1823
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Kathleen R. LaNatra and Michelle L. Badger
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 increasing penalties for hit and runs with recreational vehicles in the Commonwealth to
13	13	be known as the James Ward Act.
14	14	_______________
15	15	PETITION OF:
16	16	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Kathleen R. LaNatra12th Plymouth1/15/2025Michelle L. Badger1st Plymouth1/15/2025Patrick Joseph Kearney4th Plymouth2/5/2025Michael O. MooreSecond Worcester3/6/2025Steven George Xiarhos5th Barnstable2/7/2025 1 of 2
17	17	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1553 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
18	18	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1823
19	19	By Representatives LaNatra of Kingston and Badger of Plymouth, a petition (accompanied by
20	20	bill, House, No. 1823) of Kathleen R. LaNatra, Michelle L. Badger and others relative to
21	21	increasing penalties for hit and run with a recreational vehicle. The 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 increasing penalties for hit and runs with recreational vehicles in the Commonwealth to
28	28	be known as the James Ward Act.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 SECTION 1. Section 26B of chapter 90B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
32	32	2Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 17 -18, the words “shall be punished
33	33	3by a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $1,000” and inserting in place thereof the following
34	34	4words:- person, not resulting in the death of another person, shall be punished by imprisonment
35	35	5in a jail or house of correction for not more than 1 year or by a fine of not less than $500 nor
36	36	6more than $1,000, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
37	37	7 SECTION 2. Said section 26B of said chapter 90B, as so appearing, is hereby further
38	38	8amended by inserting, after subsection (c), the following subsection:-
39	39	9 (d) Whoever operates a snow vehicle or a recreation vehicle and, without stopping and
40	40	10making known theirs name, address and the registration number of his snow vehicle or recreation
41	41	11vehicle, leaves the scene after knowingly colliding with or otherwise causing bodily injury to 2 of 2
42	42	12another person shall, if the injuries result in the death of another person, be punished by
43	43	13imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than 2 1/2 years or by a fine of not
44	44	14more than $5,000 or by both such fine and imprisonment.
45	45	15 SECTION 3. Said section 26B of said chapter 90B, as so appearing, is hereby further
46	46	16amended by striking out, in line 19, the word “(d)” and inserting in place thereof the following
47	47	17word:- (e).
48	48	18 SECTION 4. Said section 26B of said chapter 90B, as so appearing, is hereby further
49	49	19amended by striking out, in line 29, the word “(e)” and inserting in place thereof the following
50	50	20word:- (f).