KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Massachusetts

H2057 • 2025

An Act ensuring the safety and dignity of first responders (Halo Act)

An Act ensuring the safety and dignity of first responders (Halo Act)

Active

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

Sponsor
Xiarhos, Steven George
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 ensuring the safety and dignity of first responders (Halo Act)

An Act ensuring the safety and dignity of first responders (Halo Act) By Representatives Xiarhos of Barnstable and Wells of Milton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act ensuring the safety and dignity of first responders (Halo Act) By Representatives Xiarhos of Barnstable and Wells of Milton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 2057) of Steven George Xiarhos, Steven J.
  • Ouellette and others for legislation to establish penalties for the intent to impede or interfere, threaten or harass first responders performing such duties.
  • 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. 2025-09-16 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 09/23/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2

  3. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on The Judiciary

  4. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

  5. House

    Reported by committee to Clerk’s Office for processing, will accompany a study order

Official Summary Text

An Act ensuring the safety and dignity of first responders (Halo Act)
By Representatives Xiarhos of Barnstable and Wells of Milton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2057) of Steven George Xiarhos, Steven J. Ouellette and others for legislation to establish penalties for the intent to impede or interfere, threaten or harass first responders performing such duties. The Judiciary.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
×

Bill H.2057

SECTION ONE. Chapter 271 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 52. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:-

“First responder”, shall include any law enforcement officer, a paid, call, reserve or volunteer firefighter, a paid, call, reserve or volunteer emergency medical technician, or any other person whose usual and regular duties include rendering assistance at the scene of a crime, accident or other emergency.

“Harass”, means to willfully engage in a course of conduct directed at a first responder which intentionally causes substantial emotional distress in that first responder and serves no legitimate purpose.

(b) No person, after receiving a verbal warning not to approach from a person he or she knows or reasonably should know is a first responder and who is engaged in the lawful performance of a legal duty, shall knowingly and willfully violate such warning and approach or remain within 25 feet of the first responder with the intent to impede or interfere with the first responder’s ability to perform such duty, threaten the first responder with physical harm, or harass the first responder.

(c) Any violation of this section shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $1,000 for the first offense, and for each and every subsequent offense, by a fine or not more than $5,000 or imprisonment not exceeding one year, or both.

The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The General Court provides this information as a public service and while we endeavor to keep the data accurate and current to the best of our ability, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

Close