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S1248 • 2025

An Act codifying organizational standing to protect and promote civil rights

An Act codifying organizational standing to protect and promote civil rights

Active

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

Sponsor
Rebecca L. Rausch
Last action
2026-02-05
Official status
Referred to Senate 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 codifying organizational standing to protect and promote civil rights

An Act codifying organizational standing to protect and promote civil rights By Ms.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act codifying organizational standing to protect and promote civil rights By Ms.
  • Rausch, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No.
  • 1248) of Rebecca L.
  • Rausch for legislation to codify public interest organizational standing to protect and promote civil rights.

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. 2026-02-05 Senate

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

  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. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Referred to the committee on The Judiciary

  6. 2025-02-27 House

    House concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act codifying organizational standing to protect and promote civil rights
By Ms. Rausch, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1248) of Rebecca L. Rausch for legislation to codify public interest organizational standing to protect and promote civil rights. The Judiciary.
Status:
Referred to Senate Committee on Ways and Means

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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Bill S.1248

SECTION 1. Section 1 of chapter 151B of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting, in line 3, after the word “corporations”, the following words:- , public interest organizations.

SECTION 2. Said section 1 of said chapter 151B, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after paragraph 23 the following paragraph:-

24. The term “public interest organization” shall mean any non-profit organization which is organized or operating in whole or in part for the purpose of combating discrimination or bias, of safeguarding civil rights or of promoting interests or rights under this chapter.

SECTION 3. Section 5 of said chapter 151B, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting, after the first sentence, the following sentence:- Without limiting or excluding any other basis for a complaint, a public interest organization may be aggrieved if a purpose or activities to achieve that purpose were perceptively impaired by an alleged unlawful practice or violation; or if an alleged unlawful practice or violation was directed at the public interest organization or its agents or employees; or where the public interest organization has a sufficient nexus to the interests of the person or persons whose interests are harmed by an alleged unlawful practice or violation.

SECTION 4. Section 9 of chapter 151B, as so appearing, is hereby amended in the second paragraph by inserting, after the first sentence, the following sentence:- Without limiting or excluding any other basis for a civil action, a public interest organization may be aggrieved if a purpose or activities to achieve that purpose were perceptively impaired by an alleged unlawful practice; or if an alleged unlawful practice was directed at the public interest organization or its agents or employees; or where the public interest organization has a sufficient nexus to the interests of the person or persons whose interests are harmed by an alleged unlawful practice.

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