H 1980 Massachusetts House · 194th Legislature (2025-2026)

An Act to promote the health and safety of people in the sex trade

This bill (H 1980) would automatically remove certain past convictions related to prostitution and marijuana offenses from public criminal records. It directly affects individuals who were convicted of these specific offenses before Massachusetts laws changed to decriminalize or reduce penalties for them. The key mechanism is a streamlined process to expunge these records without requiring individuals to file separate requests. This change aims to improve access to housing, employment, and other opportunities by eliminating barriers linked to outdated convictions. The bill focuses on concrete record-removal, not altering current criminal laws.
Bill status passed 3 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Feb 2025
Governor
Introduced Feb 27, 2025 Last action Mar 26, 2026
Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
6
Key actions
1
Committee
1
Feb 27, 2025
Upper · Passed
Senate concurred
upper
Feb 27, 2025
Committee
Referred to the committee on The Judiciary
lower
1 primary · 8 co-sponsors

Sponsors