H1589 • 2025

An Act to amend the definition of hate crime

Crime

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Christine P. Barber
Last action: 2026-03-26
Official status: Accompanied a study order, see H5281 (under House Rule 27)
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act to amend the definition of hate crime

An Act to amend the definition of hate crime By Representative Barber of Somerville, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

An Act to amend the definition of hate crime By Representative Barber of Somerville, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
1589) of Christine P.
Barber and Patrick Joseph Kearney relative to the definition of hate crime.
The Judiciary.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-03-26 House
Accompanied a study order, see H5281 (under House Rule 27)
2025-11-26 Joint
Hearing rescheduled to 11/25/2025 from 10:00 AM-05:00 PM in A-2 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time
2025-11-25 Joint
Hearing rescheduled to 11/25/2025 from 10:00 AM-04:00 PM in A-2 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time
2025-11-14 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 11/25/2025 from 10:00 AM-05:00 PM in A-2
2025-02-27 House
Referred to the committee on The Judiciary
2025-02-27 Senate
Senate concurred
House
Reported by committee to Clerk’s Office for processing, will accompany a study order

Official Summary Text

An Act to amend the definition of hate crime
By Representative Barber of Somerville, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1589) of Christine P. Barber and Patrick Joseph Kearney relative to the definition of hate crime. The Judiciary.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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Bill H.1589

Section 1. Section 39(a) of Chapter 265 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 official edition, is hereby amended by replacing the words “of a person” in Line 2 with the words “of another” and replacing the words “such person” in Line 3 with the words “a person.”

Section 2. Section 39(a) of Chapter 265 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 official edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph after paragraph one of the said section: “If restitution is ordered under the provisions of this section for purposes of repairing the damage done to the real or personal property with intent to intimidate a person because of such person’s race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, such restitution shall be used to repair the damage done to the property.”

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