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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1168 FILED ON: 1/15/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1281 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | John C. Velis |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act relative to domestic violence reports and confidentiality. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :John C. VelisHampden and HampshireJason M. LewisFifth Middlesex2/28/2025John F. KeenanNorfolk and Plymouth2/28/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1168 FILED ON: 1/15/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1281 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Mr. Velis, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1281) of John C. Velis, Jason M. |
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| 19 | 19 | | Lewis and John F. Keenan for legislation relative to domestic violence reports and |
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| 20 | 20 | | confidentiality. The Judiciary. |
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| 21 | 21 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 22 | 22 | | SEE SENATE, NO. 1136 OF 2023-2024.] |
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| 23 | 23 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
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| 25 | 25 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 27 | 27 | | _______________ |
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| 28 | 28 | | An Act relative to domestic violence reports and confidentiality. |
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| 29 | 29 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 30 | 30 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 31 | 31 | | 1 Chapter 41 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 97D the |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2following section:- |
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| 33 | 33 | | 3 Section 97D½. (a) There shall be a task force established to complete a systematic review |
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| 34 | 34 | | 4of the laws pertaining to domestic violence and sexual assault reports and confidentiality. The |
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| 35 | 35 | | 5task force shall consist of: the attorney general or a designee; the president of the Massachusetts |
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| 36 | 36 | | 6District Attorneys Association or a designee; the colonel of the state police or a designee; the |
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| 37 | 37 | | 7executive director of Massachusetts office for victim assistance or a designee; 2 members |
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| 38 | 38 | | 8appointed by the senate president, 1 of whom shall represent domestic or sexual violence |
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| 39 | 39 | | 9programs in the Commonwealth, have experience working directly with survivors of domestic |
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| 40 | 40 | | 10and sexual violence, or be a survivor of domestic or sexual violence; 2 members appointed by 2 of 2 |
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| 41 | 41 | | 11the speaker of the house of representatives, 1 of whom shall represent domestic or sexual |
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| 42 | 42 | | 12violence programs in the Commonwealth, have experience working directly with survivors of |
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| 43 | 43 | | 13domestic and sexual violence, or be a survivor of domestic or sexual violence; 1 member |
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| 44 | 44 | | 14appointed by the minority leader of the senate; 1 member appointed by the minority leader of the |
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| 45 | 45 | | 15house of representatives; and 2 persons appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall represent |
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| 46 | 46 | | 16domestic or sexual violence programs in the Commonwealth, have experience working directly |
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| 47 | 47 | | 17with survivors of domestic and sexual violence, or be a survivor of domestic or sexual violence. |
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| 48 | 48 | | 18The members of the task force shall appoint a chair. |
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| 49 | 49 | | 19 (b) The task force shall: (i) assess the adequacy of laws pertaining to domestic violence, |
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| 50 | 50 | | 20sexual assault, and confidentiality including, but not limited to, section 97D of chapter 41 of the |
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| 51 | 51 | | 21General Laws; (ii) identify and review the impact of said section 97D; and (iii) develop |
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| 52 | 52 | | 22recommendations to ensure confidentiality of domestic violence survivors without protecting |
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| 53 | 53 | | 23perpetrators. |
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| 54 | 54 | | 24 (c) The task force shall submit a report of its findings and legislative recommendations to |
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| 55 | 55 | | 25the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives and the chairs of the joint committee on |
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| 56 | 56 | | 26the judiciary not later than 18 months after the effective date of this act. The task force shall |
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| 57 | 57 | | 27determine if subsequent reports shall be necessary to properly address this issue. |
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