Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H233 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1869 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 233
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Michael J. Finn
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 relative to children’s advocacy centers and the Massachusetts children’s alliance.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Michael J. Finn6th Hampden1/15/2025 1 of 5
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1869 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 233
18	18	By Representative Finn of West Springfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 233) of
19	19	Michael J. Finn relative to children’s advocacy centers and the Massachusetts children’s alliance.
20	20	Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE HOUSE, NO. 161 OF 2023-2024.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
26	26	(2025-2026)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act relative to children’s advocacy centers and the Massachusetts children’s alliance.
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 The General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, are hereby amended by
32	32	2inserting after chapter 220 the following chapter:-
33	33	3 CHAPTER 220A
34	34	4 MASSACHUSETTS CHILDREN’S ALLIANCE
35	35	5 Section 1. As used in this chapter the following words shall, unless the context clearly
36	36	6requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-
37	37	7 "Accreditation", the process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility
38	38	8is presented by national or state level standards to ensure effective, efficient and consistent
39	39	9delivery of services by a children’s advocacy center. 2 of 5
40	40	10 “Alliance”, Massachusetts Children’s Alliance.
41	41	11 "Children's Advocacy Center", a child-focused, trauma-informed, facility-based program
42	42	12in which a multidisciplinary team with representatives from law enforcement, child protection,
43	43	13prosecution, mental health, forensic interviewing, medical, and victim advocacy disciplines
44	44	14collaborate to offer the best response to child victims of maltreatment. Children’s advocacy
45	45	15centers assist in the response to allegations of child sexual abuse, severe physical abuse and
46	46	16exploitation of children. The multidisciplinary team collaborates to interview children, meet with
47	47	17a child's non-offending parents, guardians, caregivers, and family members, and to coordinate a
48	48	18streamlined, victim-focused response including investigation and provision of necessary services
49	49	19to ensure children can heal. A children’s advocacy center response facilitates efficient collection
50	50	20and sharing of information, improves timely evidence gathering, enhances communication
51	51	21among agencies involved, and broadens the knowledge base from which protective and
52	52	22investigative decisions are made. Children’s advocacy centers may be private nonprofit
53	53	23organizations or based within hospitals, district attorney’s offices, or other governmental entities.
54	54	24 “Center,” Children’s Advocacy Center.
55	55	25 "Forensic interview", an interview of a child victim of maltreatment by a forensic
56	56	26interviewer who meets or exceeds national training standards. Forensic interviews are conducted
57	57	27in an unbiased, developmentally appropriate, culturally sensitive, and fact-finding manner to
58	58	28obtain accurate information and support the best outcome for children. Whenever practical,
59	59	29members of the multidisciplinary team involved in the response shall observe the interview,
60	60	30which shall be electronically recorded. 3 of 5
61	61	31 "Massachusetts Children’s Alliance", the statewide membership organization that serves
62	62	32as a funding source to ensure children’s advocacy centers have the necessary fiscal resources to
63	63	33properly and effectively respond to child victims. The alliance engages member children’s
64	64	34advocacy centers in an accreditation process which meets or exceeds standards set by the
65	65	35national children’s alliance, by collecting and sharing of data, and by providing training,
66	66	36leadership, and technical assistance to existing and emerging children’s advocacy centers in the
67	67	37commonwealth. The alliance ensures through contractual relationship that children’s advocacy
68	68	38centers meet or exceed national standards for operating and these standards shall include:
69	69	39 1. multidisciplinary teams that include representation from law enforcement, prosecutors,
70	70	40child protective services, the medical and mental health fields, and victim advocacy;
71	71	41 2. services that are cultural sensitivity and able to meet the needs of the diverse
72	72	42population of the commonwealth;
73	73	43 3. forensic interviews that are neutral, fact-finding, and avoid duplicative interviewing;
74	74	44 4. victim support and advocacy for children and caregivers, including appropriate
75	75	45counseling, legal, and medical services or referrals;
76	76	46 5. access to medical evaluations;
77	77	47 6. access to mental health services;
78	78	48 7. a formal case review process;
79	79	49 8. a case tracking, monitoring, and outcomes process;
80	80	50 9. organizational capacity; 4 of 5
81	81	51 10. a child-focused setting that is comfortable, safe, and private; and
82	82	52 11. any additional necessary standards.
83	83	53 "Multidisciplinary team”, a group of professionals working collaboratively under a
84	84	54written protocol, who represent various disciplines to assure the most effective and coordinated
85	85	55response to child maltreatment for every child. A children’s advocacy center’s multidisciplinary
86	86	56team shall include professionals involved in the coordination, assessment, investigation, and
87	87	57prosecution of child abuse cases, including the children advocacy center’s staff, participating law
88	88	58enforcement agencies, the district attorney, and the department of children and families. A
89	89	59multidisciplinary team shall include professionals involved in the delivery of services, including
90	90	60medical and mental health services, to victims of child maltreatment and their non-offending
91	91	61family members.
92	92	62 "National Children's Alliance", the national, professional membership organization that
93	93	63provides standards for accreditation of children’s advocacy centers and is dedicated to helping
94	94	64local communities respond to allegations of child abuse in an effective and efficient manner.
95	95	65 Section 2. There is hereby created a body politic and corporate to be known as the
96	96	66Massachusetts Children’s Alliance for the purpose of providing leadership, innovative
97	97	67programming, training, technical assistance, data collection, and capacity building to meet local,
98	98	68state, and national requirements for children’s advocacy centers. The alliance may contract with
99	99	69state and federal entities to ensure that children’s advocacy centers are equipped to meet the
100	100	70needs of child victims of abuse. The alliance may receive and disburse any funds, grants, and
101	101	71services in furtherance of its functions. 5 of 5
102	102	72 Section 3. Children’s advocacy centers shall provide a formal, integrated, culturally
103	103	73competent and multidisciplinary response to child maltreatment for the benefit of children and
104	104	74their non-offending family members. The centers shall expedite a streamlined process by means
105	105	75of a prompt, coordinated, child focused, fact finding forensic multidisciplinary team interview
106	106	76and assessment which obtains the information required by involved agencies and ensures
107	107	77children are not further traumatized by the systems intended to aid. Moreover, this collaborative
108	108	78process shall ensure that professionals have the necessary information to provide services in the
109	109	79best interest of the child. The centers shall offer comprehensive services to address the mental
110	110	80health and medical needs of children. The centers shall continuously work towards the
111	111	81improvement of prevention strategies and intervention responses.