An Act supporting consenting young adults

SD 584 amends Massachusetts law to adjust protections for minors in sexual offense cases. It adds an exception allowing prosecution only if the defendant is more than 2 years older than a minor who is at least 13 years old, for offenses involving minors under 16. The bill also mandates that cases involving defendants under the age of criminal majority must be handled in juvenile court, not adult court. Additionally, it repeals a previous section (Chapter 272, Section 4) related to sexual assault. This bill directly affects minors aged 13-15 and close-age defendants (within 2 years of the minor's age) in sexual offense prosecutions.