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H1716 • 2025

An Act prohibiting court ordered visitation rights to any persons convicted of criminal offenses against a minor

An Act prohibiting court ordered visitation rights to any persons convicted of criminal offenses against a minor

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Active

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

Sponsor
Colleen M. Garry
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 prohibiting court ordered visitation rights to any persons convicted of criminal offenses against a minor

An Act prohibiting court ordered visitation rights to any persons convicted of criminal offenses against a minor By Representative Garry of Dracut, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act prohibiting court ordered visitation rights to any persons convicted of criminal offenses against a minor By Representative Garry of Dracut, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 1716) of Colleen M.
  • Garry for legislation to prohibit court ordered visitation rights to persons convicted of criminal offenses against minors.
  • 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. 2025-10-20 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 06/10/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2

  3. 2025-06-05 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 06/10/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2

  4. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on The Judiciary

  5. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

  6. House

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

Official Summary Text

An Act prohibiting court ordered visitation rights to any persons convicted of criminal offenses against a minor
By Representative Garry of Dracut, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1716) of Colleen M. Garry for legislation to prohibit court ordered visitation rights to persons convicted of criminal offenses against minors. The Judiciary.

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.1716

SECTION 1.

Section 28 of Chapter 208 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:— No court shall make an order providing unsupervised visitation rights to a parent who has been convicted of sexual abuse and/or other crimes against children including but not limited to one or more of the following: Ch. 265, sections 13B, 13H, 13J, 22, 22A, 23, 24, 24B, 26, 26A, 27A, Chapter 272, sections 1, 2, 4, 4A, 4B, 16, 17, 28, 29A, 29B, 35, 35A, unless such child is of suitable age and assents to such order and a guardian ad litem finds the visitation is in the best interest of the child.

SECTION 2. Section 37 of Chapter 209 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:— No court shall make an order providing unsupervised visitation rights to a parent who has been convicted of sexual abuse and/or other crimes against children including but not limited to one or more of the following: Ch. 265, sections 13B, 13H, 13J, 22, 22A, 23, 24, 24B, 26, 26A, 27A, Chapter 272, sections 1, 2, 4, 4A, 4B, 16, 17, 28, 29A, 29B, 35, 35A, unless such child is of suitable age and assents to such order and a guardian ad litem finds the visitation is in the best interest of the child.

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