H1718 • 2025

An Act relative to the concealment of the death of children and the penalties for the sale or purchase of minor children

Children

Active

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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 relative to the concealment of the death of children and the penalties for the sale or purchase of minor children

An Act relative to the concealment of the death of children and the penalties for the sale or purchase of minor children By Representative Garry of Dracut, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

An Act relative to the concealment of the death of children and the penalties for the sale or purchase of minor children By Representative Garry of Dracut, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
1718) of Colleen M.
Garry relative to the concealment of the death of children and the penalties for the sale or purchase of minor children.
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)
2025-10-20 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 06/10/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2
2025-06-05 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 06/10/2025 from 01:00 PM-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 relative to the concealment of the death of children and the penalties for the sale or purchase of minor children
By Representative Garry of Dracut, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1718) of Colleen M. Garry relative to the concealment of the death of children and the penalties for the sale or purchase of minor children. The Judiciary.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Bill H.1718

SECTION 1. Chapter 272 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out Section 22 and inserting in place thereof the following:— Section 22. Whoever conceals the death of a child, so that it cannot be ascertained whether it was born alive or, if born alive, whether it was murdered, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 5 years or in a house of correction for not more than two and one-half years.

SECTION 2. Chapter 272 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after Section 22 the following section:— Section 22A. Unless otherwise provided by law, whoever trades, sells or arranges for the sale of a minor child to another person for money or property, real or personal, or anything else of value, or whoever receives such minor child for such payment or thing of value shall be punished by imprisonment in state prison for not more than five years or in a house of correction for not more than two and one-half years.

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