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H4684 • 2025

An Act ensuring law enforcement identification and public trust

An Act ensuring law enforcement identification and public trust

Active

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

Sponsor
James K. Hawkins
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 law enforcement identification and public trust

An Act ensuring law enforcement identification and public trust By Representative Hawkins of Attleboro, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of James K.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act ensuring law enforcement identification and public trust By Representative Hawkins of Attleboro, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of James K.
  • Hawkins and others relative to penalties for law enforcement officers wearing masks or personal disguises while interacting with the public in the performance of their 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. 2025-11-26 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. 2025-10-30 Senate

    Senate concurred

  6. 2025-10-02 House

    Reported, referred to the committee on Joint Rules, reported, rules suspended and referred to the committee on The Judiciary

  7. 2025-07-17 House

    Referred to the committee on House Rules

  8. House

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

Official Summary Text

An Act ensuring law enforcement identification and public trust
By Representative Hawkins of Attleboro, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of James K. Hawkins and others relative to penalties for law enforcement officers wearing masks or personal disguises while interacting with the public in the performance of their duties. The Judiciary.

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.4684

SECTION 1. Section XXXX is added to the Massachusetts Penal Code, to read:

MGL Chapter 41, Section 98

(a) A law enforcement officer shall not wear any mask or personal disguise while interacting with the public in the performance of their duties, except for medical grade masks that are surgical or N95 respirators designed to prevent the transmission of airborne diseases and masks designed to protect against exposure to smoke or toxins during a state of emergency.

(b) A violation of this section shall be punishable as a misdemeanor.

(c) (1) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to ensure that Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team officers can utilize gear necessary to protect their faces from physical harm while they perform their SWAT responsibilities.

(2) It is the intent of the Legislature to enact legislation to require law enforcement officers to include their name or badge number on their uniforms.

(d) For the purposes of this section, “law enforcement officer” means any officer of a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency, or any person acting on behalf of a local, state, or federal law enforcement agency.

(e) The provisions of this section are severable. If any provision of this section or its application is held invalid, that invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application.

No cost or reimbursement is required by this act

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