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H2703 • 2025

An Act to ensure compliance with the anti-shackling law for pregnant incarcerated women

An Act to ensure compliance with the anti-shackling law for pregnant incarcerated women

Active

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

Sponsor
Priscila S. Sousa
Last action
2025-10-08
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 to ensure compliance with the anti-shackling law for pregnant incarcerated women

An Act to ensure compliance with the anti-shackling law for pregnant incarcerated women By Representative Sousa of Framingham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to ensure compliance with the anti-shackling law for pregnant incarcerated women By Representative Sousa of Framingham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 2703) of Priscila S.
  • Sousa and others for legislation to further amend the anti-shackling statute for incarcerated pregnant women.
  • 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. 2025-10-08 House

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

  2. 2025-06-20 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 06/26/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2

  3. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security

  4. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act to ensure compliance with the anti-shackling law for pregnant incarcerated women
By Representative Sousa of Framingham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2703) of Priscila S. Sousa and others for legislation to further amend the anti-shackling statute for incarcerated pregnant women. Public Safety and Homeland Security.
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.2703

SECTION 1. Subsection (b) of section 118 of chapter 127 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-

For the purposes of this section, “postpartum recovery” shall mean the time period that occurs immediately following childbirth up to a minimum of 6 weeks, or longer as determined by a physician.

SECTION 2. Said section 118 of chapter 127, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out

the words “post-delivery recuperation” in lines 45 and 62, in each instance, and inserting in place thereof the following words:- “postpartum recovery”.

SECTION 3. Said section 118 of chapter 127, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting, in line 46, after the word “physician” the following words:- “or emergency medical personnel”.

SECTION 4. Said section 118 of chapter 127, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting, in line 72, after the word “inmate” the following words:- “under any circumstances or in any setting”

SECTION 5. Said

section 118 of chapter 127, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting, in line 78, after the word “superintendent” the following words:- “of a state correctional facility or administrator of a county facility.”

SECTION 6. Said section 118 of chapter 127, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by adding the following 3 paragraphs:-

The commissioner of correction and administrator of each county correctional facility shall require annual training of staff members who transport or supervise female prisoners as to the provisions of this section.

Any time restraints are used on a pregnant or postpartum inmate, the superintendent of a state correctional facility or administrator of a county correctional facility shall submit a report within 48 hours to the secretary of public safety and security, which shall include the date, time, duration, location and the rationale for the use of restraints, provided, however, that such reports shall not contain individually identifying information.

The secretary of public safety shall submit to the legislature a public report detailing compliance with this section, including all incidents involving use of restraints which shall be filed no later than July 1 of each year with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the chairs of the joint committee on public safety and homeland security and the chairs of the joint committee on the judiciary.

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