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H1783 • 2025

An Act removing state funded counsel for sex offender classification hearings

An Act removing state funded counsel for sex offender classification hearings

Active

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

Sponsor
Bradley H. Jones, Jr.
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 removing state funded counsel for sex offender classification hearings

An Act removing state funded counsel for sex offender classification hearings By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act removing state funded counsel for sex offender classification hearings By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 1783) of Bradley H.
  • Jones, Jr., and others relative to removing state funded counsel for sex offender classification hearings.
  • 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 06/17/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2

  3. 2025-06-11 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 06/17/2025 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 removing state funded counsel for sex offender classification hearings
By Representative Jones of North Reading, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1783) of Bradley H. Jones, Jr., and others relative to removing state funded counsel for sex offender classification hearings. The Judiciary.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
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Bill H.1783

SECTION 1. Section 178L of chapter 6 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking in paragraph (a), in lines 26 through 28, inclusive, the words, “his right to retain counsel to represent him at such hearing and his right to have counsel appointed for him if he is found to be indigent as determined by the board using the standards under chapter 211D; provided, however, that such indigent offender may also apply for and the board may grant payment of fees for an expert witness in any case where the board in its classification proceeding intends to rely on the testimony or report of an expert witness prepared specifically for the purposes of the classification proceeding.”, and inserting in place thereof the words: “and his right to retain counsel to represent him at such hearing.”

SECTION 2. Section 178L of chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking in paragraph (c), in lines 65 through 73, inclusive, the words, “his right to retain counsel to represent him at such hearing and his right to have counsel appointed for him if he is found to be indigent as determined by the board using the standards under chapter 211D; provided, however, that such indigent offender may also apply for and the board may grant payment of fees for an expert witness in any case where the board in its classification proceeding intends to rely on the testimony or report of an expert witness prepared specifically for the purposes of the classification proceeding.”, and inserting in place thereof the words:- “and his right to retain counsel to represent him at such hearing.”

SECTION 3. Section 178L of chapter 6 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking in subsection (2), in lines 84 through 87, inclusive, the sentence “The board shall inform offenders requesting a hearing under the provisions of subsection (1) of their right to have counsel appointed if a sex offender is deemed to be indigent as determined by the board using the standards under chapter 211D.”

SECTION 4. Section 178M of chapter 6, as so appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking the following, “The court shall, if requested, appoint counsel to represent the sex offender in the proceedings if such sex offender is deemed indigent in accordance with section 2 of chapter 211D.”

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