H1853 • 2025

An Act to enhance the availability of immunity to witnesses in the courts of the Commonwealth

Active

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

Sponsor: Jay D. Livingstone
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 to enhance the availability of immunity to witnesses in the courts of the Commonwealth

An Act to enhance the availability of immunity to witnesses in the courts of the Commonwealth By Representative Livingstone of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

An Act to enhance the availability of immunity to witnesses in the courts of the Commonwealth By Representative Livingstone of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
1853) of Jay D.
Livingstone relative to testimony after grant of immunity to witnesses.
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 09/09/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2
2025-09-03 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 09/09/2025 from 1:00PM-5:00 PM in A-2 and virtual
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 to enhance the availability of immunity to witnesses in the courts of the Commonwealth
By Representative Livingstone of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1853) of Jay D. Livingstone relative to testimony after grant of immunity to witnesses. The Judiciary.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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Bill H.1853

SECTION 1. Section 20D of chapter 233 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking the existing section and replacing it with the following paragraph:

A witness who is called or who may be called to testify before a grand jury or in a criminal proceeding in the supreme judicial court, appeals court, superior court, district court, or in a proceeding in the juvenile court, may, in the manner provided in section twenty E, be granted immunity in any proceeding or investigation involving a criminal offense.

SECTION 2. Section 20E(a) of chapter 233 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2015 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking the words “or Superior Court” and replacing them with the words “Superior Court, District Court or Juvenile Court.”

SECTION 3. Section 20E(c) of chapter 233 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2015 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking the words “or Superior Court” and replacing them with the words “Superior Court, District Court or Juvenile Court,” and by striking the words “in the superior court” at the conclusion of the subsection.

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