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H5154 • 2025

An Act exonerating certain individuals accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts

An Act exonerating certain individuals accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts

Active

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

Sponsor
Judiciary (J)
Last action
2026-02-26
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 exonerating certain individuals accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts

An Act exonerating certain individuals accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts Status: Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

What This Bill Does

  • An Act exonerating certain individuals accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts Status: Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

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. 2026-02-26 House

    Reported from the committee on The Judiciary

  2. 2026-02-26 House

    New draft of H1927

  3. 2026-02-26 House

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

Official Summary Text

An Act exonerating certain individuals accused of witchcraft in colonial Massachusetts
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.5154

SECTION 1. The first paragraph of chapter 145 of the resolves of 1957, as amended by section 105 of chapter 126 of the acts of 2022, is hereby amended by inserting after the words “Elizabeth Johnson, Jr.”, the following words:- , Margaret Jones, Alice Lake, Elizabeth Kendall, Anne Hibbens, Goody Glover,

SECTION 2. The first paragraph of said Chapter 145 is hereby further amended by striking the words “in the year sixteen hundred and ninety-two”.

SECTION 3. Said Chapter 145 is hereby further amended by inserting after the first paragraph the following 2 paragraphs:-

Whereas, Hugh Parsons, Eunice Cole, and Elizabeth Morse were indicted, tried, and found guilty of “Witchcraft”; and

Whereas, numerous others were named, accused, arrested, questioned, imprisoned, arraigned, presented, indicted or tried for “Witchcraft” or familiarity with the Devil, though not found guilty; and

SECTION 4. The second paragraph of said Chapter 145 is hereby amended by inserting after the word “named”, the following words:- and other.

SECTION 5. The fourth paragraph of said Chapter 145 is hereby amended by inserting after the words “Elizabeth Johnson, Jr.” the following words:- , Margaret Jones, Alice Lake, Elizabeth Kendall, Anne Hibbens, Goody Glover, Hugh Parsons, Eunice Cole, Elizabeth Morse.

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