Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S1719 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. 2171 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1719
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Paul W. Mark
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 enhancing the safety of first responders.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Paul W. MarkBerkshire, Hampden, Franklin and
16	16	Hampshire 1 of 4
17	17	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2171 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
18	18	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1719
19	19	By Mr. Mark, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1719) of Paul W. Mark for legislation
20	20	to enhance safety of first responders with initiatives, including training, protective equipment,
21	21	and emergency response planning.. Public Safety and Homeland Security.
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 enhancing the safety of first responders.
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 SECTION 1. Section 2 of Chapter 90 of the General Laws is hereby amended by
31	31	2inserting after line 671, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, the following paragraph:-
32	32	3 The registrar shall furnish without charge to the owner of a private passenger motor
33	33	4vehicle who is a parent, child or spouse of a police officer of a police department of any city or
34	34	5town, the department of state police or the Massachusetts bay transportation authority police
35	35	6department, who has been killed in the line of duty, upon presentation of satisfactory evidence to
36	36	7the registrar, a distinctive registration plate that reads "Blue Star Family" for 1 private passenger
37	37	8motor vehicle owned and principally used by that person or a distinctive "Blue Star Family"
38	38	9emblem to be affixed to a registration plate for a motorcycle privately owned and principally
39	39	10used by that person. The registrar may issue a distinctive "Blue Star Family" registration of up to
40	40	116 characters for 1 private passenger motor vehicle owned and principally used by that person. A
41	41	12police officer shall be determined to have been killed in the line of duty for purposes of this 2 of 4
42	42	13paragraph if the circumstance meets those which would make them eligible to be placed on the
43	43	14National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington D.C.
44	44	15 SECTION 2. Section 7C of Chapter 89 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
45	45	16Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out subsection 2(c) in its entirety and inserting in
46	46	17place thereof:-
47	47	18 (c) Violation of this section may be punished by a fine of $250 for a first offense, by a
48	48	19fine of $500 for a second offense, and by a fine of $1,000 for a third or subsequent offense;
49	49	20provided that any violation that results in injury to another person may be punished by a fine of
50	50	21$2,500 or up to one year in jail or house of correction.
51	51	22 And further, by adding the following sections:-
52	52	23 (d) In addition to any fines pursuant to subsection (c), an operator who commits a second
53	53	24or third offense shall be required to complete a program selected by the registrar of motor
54	54	25vehicles that encourages a change in driver behavior and attitude about the "Move Over Law".
55	55	26 (e) A first or second offense under this section shall not be a surchargeable incident under
56	56	27section 113B of chapter 175 or under motor vehicle liability policy as defined in section 34A that
57	57	28is issued pursuant to said chapter 175; provided, however, that a third or subsequent offense shall
58	58	29be a surchargeable incident under said section 113B of said chapter 175 or under a motor vehicle
59	59	30liability policy as defined in said section 34A that is issued pursuant to said chapter 175.
60	60	31 (f) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, upon receipt of the
61	61	32payment of fines issued under this section, the state comptroller shall immediately cause not less
62	62	33than 50% of the total to be transferred to registry of motor vehicles to be held as retained 3 of 4
63	63	34revenue, provided said revenue shall be used to defray the 100 per cent of the annual cost
64	64	35associated with section 1 of this act, and further, the remaining balance shall be transferred to the
65	65	36state treasurer to supplement costs associated with section 3 of this act.
66	66	37 SECTION 3. Chapter 10 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition,
67	67	38is hereby amended by inserting after section 35SSS the following section:-
68	68	39 Section 35TTT. There shall be established and set up on the books of the Commonwealth
69	69	40a separate fund to be known as the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial Fund to be used
70	70	41without appropriation by a department of public safety for the purpose of making annual
71	71	42payments to the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial to memorialize and honor
72	72	43Massachusetts law enforcement personnel killed in the line of duty. There shall be credited to the
73	73	44fund revenues received by the Commonwealth from the sale of registration plates under section
74	74	452G of chapter 90.
75	75	46 SECTION 4. Section 18¾ of Chapter 6A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
76	76	47Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following clause:-
77	77	48 (10) to develop and implement a statewide blue alert system to be activated when law
78	78	49enforcement officials are searching for an individual who is wanted in the serious injury or
79	79	50killing of a police officer, state trooper, or other law enforcement official.
80	80	51 SECTION 5. Chapter 6A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition,
81	81	52is hereby amended by inserting after section 18AA the following section:-
82	82	53 Section 19B. The executive office of public safety shall coordinate the implementation of
83	83	54a statewide blue alert system, pursuant to section 21 of chapter 22. 4 of 4
84	84	55 SECTION 6. Chapter 22 of The General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition
85	85	56are hereby amended by adding the following section:-
86	86	57 Section 21.
87	87	58 THE STATEWIDE BLUE ALERT SYSTEM
88	88	59 Section 1. The following terms as used in this chapter shall, unless the context clearly
89	89	60appears otherwise, have the following meanings:
90	90	61 “Executive office”, the executive office of public safety.
91	91	62 "Law enforcement agency", a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the
92	92	63investigation of a crime resulting in the serious injury or death of a police officer, state trooper,
93	93	64or other law enforcement official.