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