H1881 • 2025

An Act granting Indian tribes access to the Massachusetts courts

Active

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

Sponsor: Joseph D. McKenna
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 granting Indian tribes access to the Massachusetts courts

An Act granting Indian tribes access to the Massachusetts courts By Representative McKenna of Sutton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

An Act granting Indian tribes access to the Massachusetts courts By Representative McKenna of Sutton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
1881) of Joseph D.
McKenna relative to Indian tribe access to the Massachusetts courts.
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)
2025-11-04 Joint
Hearing rescheduled to 11/04/2025 from 01:00 PM-02:30 PM in A-1 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time
2025-11-04 Joint
Hearing rescheduled to 11/04/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-1 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time
2025-10-29 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 11/04/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-1
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 granting Indian tribes access to the Massachusetts courts
By Representative McKenna of Sutton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1881) of Joseph D. McKenna relative to Indian tribe access to the Massachusetts courts. The Judiciary.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Bill H.1881

Chapter 221 of the General Laws as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition is hereby amended by adding the following new section:

SECTION X:

Section 1. Individual or individuals serving on behalf of an Indian Tribe that has received official recognition by the Commission on Indian Affairs shall be granted permission to represent said Tribe on matters before the full legal system of Massachusetts and shall not be deemed to be in violation of M.G.L. Chapter 221, section 41, M.G.L. Chapter 221, Section 46A, or any other statute prohibiting self-representation or fraudulent practice of law.

Section2. Any individual or individuals representing an Indian Tribe before the courts in Massachusetts must submit to the courts an affidavit attesting to their status as a non-lawyer, that they have not passed the Massachusetts bar, and that they are not representing themselves to be a licensed practitioner of law. Failure to provide such affidavit shall constitute a violation of M.G.L. Chapter 221, sections 41 and 46A.

Section 3. Such rights and privileges of ‘self-representation’ may only extend full Tribal matters and shall not extend to individual members of such Tribes.

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