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H1727 • 2025

An Act relative to increasing racial diversity among judges in Massachusetts

An Act relative to increasing racial diversity among judges in Massachusetts

Active

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

Sponsor
Carlos González
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 increasing racial diversity among judges in Massachusetts

An Act relative to increasing racial diversity among judges in Massachusetts By Representative González of Springfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to increasing racial diversity among judges in Massachusetts By Representative González of Springfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 1727) of Carlos González for legislation to establish a special commission (including members of the General Court) relative to increasing racial diversity among judges.
  • 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 06/03/2025 from 01:00 PM-09:00 PM in A-2

  3. 2025-05-29 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 06/03/2025 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 relative to increasing racial diversity among judges in Massachusetts
By Representative González of Springfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1727) of Carlos González for legislation to establish a special commission (including members of the General Court) relative to increasing racial diversity among judges. The Judiciary.

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.1727

(a) Notwithstanding any special or general law to the contrary, there shall be a special legislative commission established pursuant to section 2A of chapter 4 of the General Laws to study the potential for legislative action to increase racial diversity among the judiciary in the Commonwealth. The commission shall consist of 15 members: 2 of whom shall be the chairs of the joint committee on the judiciary or their designees, who shall serve as co-chairs; 1 of whom shall be the chair of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus or a designee; 1 of whom shall be the chair of the Massachusetts House Asian Caucus or a designee; 1 of whom shall be the attorney general or a designee; 1 of whom shall be the secretary of public safety and security or a designee; 1 of whom shall be the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, Inc. or a designee; 1 of whom shall be the president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People New England Area Conference or a designee; 2 of whom shall be appointed by the Governor’s Council; and 8 of whom shall be appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be from the Massachusetts Bar Association, 1 of whom shall be from the Boston Bar Association, 1 of whom shall be from the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association, 1 of whom shall be from the Massachusetts Association of Hispanic Attorneys, 1 of whom shall be from the Asian American Lawyers Association of Massachusetts, 1 of whom shall be from the Massachusetts District Attorney’s Association or an Assistant District Attorney, and 1 of whom shall be from the Committee for Public Counsel Services.

(b) The appointments made by the governor pursuant to subsection (a) shall include women and people of color in such proportion as these groups exist in the commonwealth’s population as periodically determined by the state secretary as the commonwealth’s chief census officer.

(c) The commission shall evaluate the current and historic state of racial diversity among judges in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts including, but not limited to: (i) the impact legislative action could have on racial diversity within the judiciary; (ii) recommendations to ensure increased racial diversity across the judiciary; (iii) proposed standards for admission to the judiciary, including, but not limited to, age, education, community of origin, psychological and mental health; and (iv) any other information the commission deems relevant.

(d) The commission shall submit its findings and recommendations relative to increasing racial diversity within the judiciary by filing the same with the clerks of the house of representatives, the senate, the Governor’s Council, and the Governor not later than December 31, 2026.

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