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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 665 FILED ON: 1/10/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3303
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Simon Cataldo and Sean Garballey
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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 establishing an office of restorative justice.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Simon Cataldo14th Middlesex1/10/2025Sean Garballey23rd Middlesex1/10/2025Paul J. Donato35th Middlesex2/4/2025 1 of 4
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 665 FILED ON: 1/10/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3303
By Representatives Cataldo of Concord and Garballey of Arlington, a petition (accompanied by
bill, House, No. 3303) of Simon Cataldo, Sean Garballey and Paul J. Donato for legislation to
establish an office of restorative justice within the executive office for administration and finance
to build restorative justice capacity in the Commonwealth. State Administration and Regulatory
Oversight.
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 establishing an office of restorative justice.
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 7 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following
2section:-
3 Section 63. There shall be an office of restorative justice within the executive office for
4administration and finance, subject to appropriation. The office shall be under the supervision
5and control of a director who shall be appointed by the secretary of administration and finance.
6The director shall be a person with substantial training and professional experience in restorative
7justice and shall maintain complete impartiality with respect to the matters coming before the
8office and devote their full time to the duties of the office.
9 The office of restorative justice shall build restorative justice capacity across multiple
10disciplines and serve as the primary administrative and funding entity for publicly sponsored
11restorative justice initiatives in the commonwealth. The office shall be available to assist the 2 of 4
12legislative, judicial and executive branches, counties, cities, towns, community organizations and
13members of the public with developing and expanding restorative justice initiatives. The office
14shall promote the implementation of chapter 276B of the General Laws and any other laws that
15provide for the use of restorative justice.
16 (a)For purposes of this section, the term “restorative justice” shall have the same meaning
17as in section 1 of said chapter 276B and include restorative practices rooted in community values
18and incorporating restorative principles. Restorative practices under this section shall include,
19but not be limited to victim-offender conferences, family group conferences, circles, community
20conferences and other similar victim-centered practices. Restorative practices may be used at any
21point before, during and after court involvement, to prevent court involvement and to support the
22healing of harm within communities.
23 (b)The office, in collaboration with communities and government agencies and consistent
24with restorative justice values, may: (i) design, develop, launch or fund restorative justice
25programs; (ii) create standards and guidelines for best practices for administering, providing
26training on and facilitating restorative justice programs operated or funded by the office; (iii)
27conduct restorative justice educational programs and provide other technical assistance; (iv)
28serve as a centralized repository for restorative justice resources; (v) establish policies and
29procedures to effectuate the purposes of this section, including, but not limited to, provisions for
30grant making, data collection, and evaluation of restorative justice programs operated or funded
31by the office; and (vi) take other actions to promote restorative justice within local communities
32and public entities of the commonwealth. 3 of 4
33 (c) The director shall convene a statewide advisory committee to guide the office of
34restorative justice in carrying out the purposes of this section. The statewide advisory committee
35shall consist of not more than 18 members trained in restorative justice practices; provided, that
36there shall be an equal number of government members and non-government community
37members on the committee; provided further, that the government members shall be from the
38legislative, judicial and executive branches and government-related statewide associations,
39including, but not limited to, representatives of public safety, law enforcement, victim services,
40health and human services, education, child welfare and legal agencies; and provided further,
41that the non-government community members shall be representatives of indigenous
42communities, survivors, formerly incarcerated, incarcerated populations, community-based
43restorative justice programs and practitioners working with juveniles and adults in communities,
44schools and criminal justice systems. Members of the committee shall be selected from diverse
45ethnicities, races, religions, ages, sexual orientations, gender identities, socio-economic statuses,
46differently abled, and geographical backgrounds from throughout the commonwealth. The
47members of the committee shall receive no compensation for their services but shall be
48reimbursed for any usual and customary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.
49 (d) The director may establish reasonable fees to be charged to public agencies for the
50provision of restorative justice education, consultation or other services authorized under this
51section, and may apply for and accept on behalf of the commonwealth any federal, local or
52private grants, bequests, gifts or contributions to aid in the financing of any of the programs or
53activities of the office. Fees, grants, bequests, gifts or contributions shall be received by the
54office and deposited in a separate account and shall be expended, without further appropriation,
55at the direction of the director for the cost of operating the office, including personnel, and for 4 of 4
56programs funded by the office. The office may make agreements with public agencies and
57officers and may contract with other persons, including private agencies, corporations or
58associations, to carry out any of the functions and purposes of this section.
59 (e) Annually, the office shall annually prepare a report on its activities, including all
60income and expenditures, and file the report with the governor, the secretary of administration
61and finance, the secretary of public safety and security, the secretary of health and human
62services, the secretary of education, the chief justice of the supreme judicial court, the chief
63justice of the trial court, the chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and means, and
64the chairs of the joint committee on public safety and homeland security, the joint committee on
65mental health, substance use and recovery, the joint committee on the judiciary and the joint
66committee on education not later than December 31.