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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1694 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 142
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Robyn K. Kennedy
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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 relative to bias-free child removals.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Robyn K. KennedyFirst Worcester 1 of 3
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1694 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 142
By Ms. Kennedy, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 142) of Robyn K. Kennedy for
legislation to authorize the Department of Children and Families to develop a bias-free child
review team to review emergency child removals. Children, Families and Persons with
Disabilities.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 102 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 relative to bias-free child removals.
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. As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context clearly
2requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-
3 "Bias-free" to review a case file without the following identifying demographic
4information on the parent and child: gender, race, ethnicity, disability, geographic location, and
5socioeconomic status, which prevents a reader from inserting bias, implicit or explicit, into
6critical decisions such as removing a child from the child's family.
7 (a) The Department of Children and Families shall develop a permanent Bias-Free Case
8Review Team for each Area Office, consisting of no less than three staff, to screen all proposed
9emergency child removals under section 51B chapter 119 of the General Laws. The department 2 of 3
10shall develop a bias-free case summary which removes all demographics and identifying
11information, and presents evidence of safety factors that place the child(ren) in immediate or
12impending danger of serious harm, the family’s strengths, and opportunities for supportive
13interventions prior to removal. Prior to the Review Team convening, the following demographic
14and identifiable information must be removed from the case notes, intake summary, and
15investigation:
16 (i) The name of the child and the child's parents.
17 (ii) The race or ethnicity of the child and the child's parents, except when the allegations
18require thoughtful considerations pertaining to a family's culture, ethnicity, or religion.
19 (iii) The sexual orientation or gender identity of the child and the child's parents, except
20when the allegations require thoughtful considerations pertaining to the LGBTQ+ status or
21gender identity of the child.
22 (iv) The religious affiliation or beliefs of the child and the child's parents, except when
23the allegations require thoughtful considerations pertaining to a family's culture, ethnicity, or
24religion.
25 (v) The disability status of a parent, except when the allegations require thoughtful
26considerations pertaining to a family's disability status.
27 (vi) The political affiliation or beliefs of the child and the child's parents.
28 (vii) The marital status of the child's parents.
29 (viii) The income level of the child's parents. 3 of 3
30 (ix) The education level of the child's parents.
31 (x) Any reference to the location of the neighborhood or county of the parent's address.
32 (b) The Department of Children and Families shall develop a training for staff of Bias-
33Free Case Review Team in each area office. That shall be completed by the staff no less than
34annually.
35 (c) The Department of Children and Families shall submit an annual evaluation report to
36the joint committee on children, families and persons with disabilities that details the program's
37implementation and that provides an analysis of the program's effect and impact on the removal
38rates of black, indigenous and children of color.