Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S1278 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1110 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1278
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	John C. Velis
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 to establish the Massachusetts judicial security act.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :John C. VelisHampden and Hampshire 1 of 4
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1110 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1278
18	18	By Mr. Velis, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1278) of John C. Velis for legislation
19	19	to establish the Massachusetts judicial security act. The Judiciary.
20	20	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
21	21	SEE SENATE, NO. 1133 OF 2023-2024.]
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 to establish the Massachusetts judicial security act.
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 The General Laws are hereby amended by inserting after chapter 156 the following
31	31	2chapter:-
32	32	3 CHAPTER 221D. MASSACHUSETTS JUDICIAL SECURITY ACT
33	33	4 Section 1. As used in this chapter, the following words shall, unless the context clearly
34	34	5requires otherwise, have the following meanings:
35	35	6 “Data broker” a commercial entity that collects, assembles, or maintains personal
36	36	7information concerning an individual who is not a customer or an employee of that entity in
37	37	8order to sell the information or provide third party access to the information. 2 of 4
38	38	9 "Immediate family" the spouse, child, or parent or any other blood relative who lives in
39	39	10the same residence as a justice or retired justice of the supreme judicial court, appeals court or
40	40	11trial court.
41	41	12 "Personal information" the Social Security number, home address, home phone number,
42	42	13mobile phone number, or personal email of, and identifiable to, that individual
43	43	14 “Protected individual” a justice or retired justice of the supreme judicial court or appeals
44	44	15court, a judge, recall judge or retired judge of the trial court any active, formerly active, or retired
45	45	16justice of the United States supreme court; judge of the United States court of appeals, judge or
46	46	17magistrate judge of the United States district court, judge of the United States bankruptcy court
47	47	18 Section 2. (a) No state agency, county agency or municipal agency shall publicly post or
48	48	19display the personal information of any protected individual on the internet without first
49	49	20obtaining the written permission of that individual.
50	50	21 (b) Each protected individual may file a written notice of their status as a protected
51	51	22individual, for themselves and immediate family to any state agency, county agency or municipal
52	52	23agency; and ask each state agency, county agency or municipal agency to mark as confidential
53	53	24that protected individual’s personal information.
54	54	25 (c) Upon receipt of a written request in accordance with this section, the state agency,
55	55	26county agency or municipal agency shall remove the protected individual’s personal information
56	56	27from publicly available content within 72 hours. 3 of 4
57	57	28 Section 3. (a) It shall be unlawful for a data broker to sell, license, trade, purchase, or
58	58	29otherwise provide or make available for consideration a protected individual’s personal
59	59	30information.
60	60	31 (b) No person, business, or association shall publicly post or publicly display the personal
61	61	32information of a protected individual or a protected individual’s immediate family on the internet
62	62	33if the protected individual has, either directly or through an agent, made a written request of the
63	63	34data broker, person, business, or association to not disclose said personal information.
64	64	35 (c) A data broker, person, business, or association, shall upon receipt of a written request
65	65	36in accordance with this section, remove the personal information in question from the internet
66	66	37within 72 hours.
67	67	38 (d) A data broker, person, business, or association shall ensure, after receiving a written
68	68	39request in accordance with this section, that the protected individual’s personal information is not
69	69	40made available on any website or subsidiary website controlled by that data broker, person,
70	70	41business, or association.
71	71	42 (e) After receiving a protected individual’s written request, no data broker, person,
72	72	43business, or association shall transfer the judges’ personally identifiable information to any other
73	73	44person, business, or association through any medium.
74	74	45 (f) An at-risk individual whose judges' personally identifiable information is made public
75	75	46as a result of a violation of this Act may bring an action seeking injunctive or declaratory relief
76	76	47in any court of competent jurisdiction. If the court grants injunctive or declaratory relief, the
77	77	48person, business, or association responsible for the violation shall be required to pay the at-risk
78	78	49individual’s costs and reasonable attorney's fees. 4 of 4
79	79	50 Section 4. This Act shall take effect 120 days after its enactment.