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H2671 • 2025

An Act relative to Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children

An Act relative to Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children

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Sponsor
Moran, Frank A.
Last action
2025-10-30
Official status
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means
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 Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children

An Act relative to Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children By Representatives Moran of Lawrence and Cruz of Salem, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children By Representatives Moran of Lawrence and Cruz of Salem, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 2671) of Frank A.
  • Moran and Manny Cruz relative to missing and abducted children investigations.
  • Public Safety and Homeland Security.

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. 2025-10-30 House

    Bill reported favorably by committee as changed and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means

  2. 2025-07-23 Joint

    Hearing rescheduled to 07/24/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2 and Virtual

  3. 2025-07-14 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 07/24/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2

  4. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security

  5. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children
By Representatives Moran of Lawrence and Cruz of Salem, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2671) of Frank A. Moran and Manny Cruz relative to missing and abducted children investigations. Public Safety and Homeland Security.
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.2671

SECTION 1. Chapter 22A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 10. The executive office of public safety and security shall develop a guide entitled the Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children investigations that shall establish comprehensive minimum standards for law enforcement agencies in the commonwealth. Such agencies shall reference the guide and implement the policy and procedures in agency practices and the training of law enforcement officers.

The executive office shall reference, but shall not be limited to, the law enforcement policy and procedures for reports of missing and abducted children, developed by The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The executive office shall ensure that policies promulgated are comprehensive and inclusive to different categories of missing children,

including, but not limited to, children under 10 years of age, children under 17 years of age, children with mental and physical limitations and dependent adults with mental and physical limitations.

The municipal police training committee shall include in their 2025 training year, a mandatory 2-hour in-service training program for veteran police officers on the Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children investigations. The municipal police training committee shall include training on the Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children investigations for new police officers attending the police academy. The training shall be conducted in each local police department at least once every three years.

The executive office of public safety and security shall ensure internal policies and the missing child clearinghouse intake form to reflect the Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children investigations. The missing child clearinghouse intake form shall be available in, but not limited to, the following languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Russian, German, Albanian, Khmer or Cambodian.

SECTION 2. Section 1 shall take effect on January 15, 2026.

SECTION 3. By January 15, 2027, law enforcement agencies in the commonwealth of Massachusetts shall adopt the Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children investigations as the minimum protocol in investigations of missing children.

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