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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3081 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2261
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Carol A. Doherty
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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 ending the criminalization of homelessness.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Carol A. Doherty3rd Bristol1/16/2025James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol2/11/2025 1 of 1
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3081 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2261
By Representative Doherty of Taunton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2261) of
Carol A. Doherty and James K. Hawkins relative to the criminalization of homelessness.
Municipalities and Regional Government.
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 ending the criminalization of homelessness.
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. Section 21D of Chapter 40 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph at the end thereof:
3 No city or town shall adopt or enforce any ordinance, by-law, rule, or regulation under
4this section that imposes a monetary penalty or other sanction on homeless individuals solely for
5the act of trespassing, sleeping, or camping on public property. For the purposes of this section,
6'homeless individual' shall mean a person lacking a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime
7residence. Camping shall mean to sleep in a tent, under a tarp or canopy, in a motor vehicle, or in
8any other temporary outdoor shelter.