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H4115 • 2025

An Act relative to preventing immigration reporting and ensuring the right to legal counsel

An Act relative to preventing immigration reporting and ensuring the right to legal counsel

Active

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

Sponsor
Danillo A. Sena
Last action
2026-02-25
Official status
Referred to Joint Committee on the Judiciary
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 preventing immigration reporting and ensuring the right to legal counsel

An Act relative to preventing immigration reporting and ensuring the right to legal counsel By Representative Sena of Acton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to preventing immigration reporting and ensuring the right to legal counsel By Representative Sena of Acton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 4115) of Danillo A.
  • Sena relative to immigration reporting and the right to legal counsel.
  • 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. 2026-02-25 House

    Reporting date extended to Friday, July 31, 2026

  2. 2025-11-26 Joint

    Hearing rescheduled to 11/25/2025 from 10:00 AM-05:00 PM in A-2 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time

  3. 2025-11-25 Joint

    Hearing rescheduled to 11/25/2025 from 10:00 AM-04:00 PM in A-2 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time

  4. 2025-11-14 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 11/25/2025 from 10:00 AM-05:00 PM in A-2

  5. 2025-05-15 Senate

    Senate concurred

  6. 2025-05-12 House

    Referred to the committee on The Judiciary

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to preventing immigration reporting and ensuring the right to legal counsel
By Representative Sena of Acton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 4115) of Danillo A. Sena relative to immigration reporting and the right to legal counsel. The Judiciary.
Status:
Referred to Joint Committee on the Judiciary

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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Bill H.4115

SECTION 1. Chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 2JJJJJJ the following section:-

Section 2KKKKKK. (a) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund known as the Immigrant Legal Assistance Fund, hereinafter referred to as the fund. The fund shall award funding to organizations who represent and provide legal counsel to undocumented immigrants in a court of law. The fund shall be administered by the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation.

(b) The fund shall be credited with: (i) revenue from appropriations or other money authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; (ii) interest earned on money in the fund; (iii) contributions from private sector entities, including local immigration agencies or non-profits, foundations and other organizations; and (iv) federal grants and other gifts, grants and donations for the support of legal representation for undocumented immigrants. Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation and any money remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund.

(c) The Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation shall annually, not later than December 31, report on the activity of the fund to the: (i) chairs of the joint committee on the judiciary; (ii) chairs of the house and senate committees on ways and means; and (iii) clerks of the house of representatives and senate.

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

Section 104. All law enforcement officers of local and state law enforcement agencies shall not contact or share information with federal authorities, including federal immigration authorities, regarding any person's immigration status. Law enforcement officers or law enforcement agencies may share such information with federal authorities only when verified through the commonwealth’s criminal offender record information database established in section 172 of chapter 6 that the individual has a documented criminal conviction. All law enforcement officers or law enforcement agencies communications with federal authorities shall follow departmental protocols and be authorized by a supervising officer who shall document the basis for sharing the individual’s information.

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