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H1617 • 2025

An Act relative to long-term protection of victims of violence

An Act relative to long-term protection of victims of violence

Active

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

Sponsor
Tackey Chan
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 relative to long-term protection of victims of violence

An Act relative to long-term protection of victims of violence By Representative Chan of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to long-term protection of victims of violence By Representative Chan of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 1617) of Tackey Chan and Michael Morrissey relative to long-term protection of victims of violence.
  • 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

  1. 2026-03-26 House

    Accompanied a study order, see H5281 (under House Rule 27)

  2. 2025-09-16 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 09/23/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2

  3. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on The Judiciary

  4. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

  5. House

    Reported by committee to Clerk’s Office for processing, will accompany a study order

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to long-term protection of victims of violence
By Representative Chan of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1617) of Tackey Chan and Michael Morrissey relative to long-term protection of victims of violence. The Judiciary.

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.1617

SECTION 1. Section 3 of chapter 209A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:-

(j) After a conviction or a change of plea and at sentencing in the Superior Court on charges of:

(1) a felony which has as an element of the use, attempted use, or threatened use of physical force against the person of another; or

(2) a misdemeanor or felony involving “abuse” as defined in section 1 or while a 209A order was in effect against the defendant; or

(3) any of the following specific charges: (i) assault and battery on a family or household member; (ii) assault and battery on a person 60 or older or a disabled person; (iii) assault with intent to murder; (iv) attempt to murder; (v) strangulation or suffocation; (vi) assault and battery causing serious bodily injury; (vii) assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon; (viii) assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury; (ix) mayhem; (x) assault and battery; (xi) stalking; (xii) rape; (xiii) assault with intent to rape; (xiv) kidnapping; or (xv) intimidation of a witness.

A judge in the Superior Court at the time of sentencing for crimes enumerated and committed on a person who is family or a household member as defined in section 1, or a person who is or was in a substantial dating relationship, and has an active order under this section, may issue a permanent abuse prevention order at the request of a person who is or was in a substantial dating relationship with the defendant or is a family or household member as defined in section 1 even if the original order was issued from the Boston Municipal Court, a District Court, or a Probate Court and even if the family or household member is a minor. The order, as permitted under section 2, may be issued without a further hearing date based on the facts of the case which the Superior Court is sentencing the defendant at the request of the victim of violence so long as the victim of violence already had an active protective order.

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