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H2701 • 2025

An Act to promote and protect safety in the Commonwealth

An Act to promote and protect safety in the Commonwealth

Active

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

Sponsor
Soter, Michael J.
Last action
2026-04-23
Official status
Accompanied a study order, see H5322 (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 promote and protect safety in the Commonwealth

An Act to promote and protect safety in the Commonwealth By Representatives Soter of Bellingham and Sweezey of Duxbury, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to promote and protect safety in the Commonwealth By Representatives Soter of Bellingham and Sweezey of Duxbury, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 2701) of Michael J.
  • Soter, Kenneth P.
  • Sweezey and others for legislation to promote and protect safety in the Commonwealth.

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. 2026-04-23 House

    Accompanied a study order, see H5322 (under House Rule 27)

  2. 2025-11-04 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 11/25/2025 from 11:30 AM-05:00 PM in Gardner Auditorium

  3. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security

  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 to promote and protect safety in the Commonwealth
By Representatives Soter of Bellingham and Sweezey of Duxbury, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2701) of Michael J. Soter, Kenneth P. Sweezey and others for legislation to promote and protect safety in the Commonwealth. Public Safety and Homeland Security.

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.2701

SECTION 1. Chapter 276 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 20R the following section:-

Section 20S. (a) Any employee of the Commonwealth considered a court officer pursuant to Chapter 221 Sections 69A, 70A, 71A of the General Laws or any state, county or local law enforcement officer, who has lawful custody of a person may, upon receipt of a written request from United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement requesting detention of such person on the grounds that there is probable cause that such person is a removable alien, detain such person for a reasonable period of time after such person would otherwise be released from custody in order to transfer custody of such person to United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, provided that such person be provided with a copy of such written request; and further provided that in no circumstances shall such detention exceed 36 hours.

(b) This section shall not be construed to give rise to a private right of action and shall not be construed so as to make unlawful any arrest in this commonwealth which would otherwise be lawful.

SECTION 2. Chapter 276 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting at the end the following section: -

Section 104. In determining original bail, and any subsequent bail pursuant to sections 20D, 20E, 20F, 29, 42, 42A, 56A, 57, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64 68, 70, 82, 82A, of Chapter 276 the Judicial Officer presiding over the status of the bail hearing of the individual shall consider the existence of an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Detainer request from the United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Office. If a written request from United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement requesting detention of such person on the grounds that there is probable cause that such person is a removable alien and (2) an administrative warrant for arrest or warrant of removal/deportation exists then the Judicial Officer shall have grounds to withhold or modify bail pending action on the request from Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.

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