Criminal Justice (Law Enforcement)

passed · Massachusetts · House Jun 18, 2026

H 5289: An Act authorizing the appointment of retired police officers as special police officers in the town of Norwood

This bill allows the town of Norwood to hire retired police officers as special police officers to assist with local law enforcement duties. To qualify, the retired officers must have served as regular police officers in Massachusetts and retired in good standing due to age or service. The bill requires these special officers to maintain their certification and complete all mandatory training and continuing education requirements set by state standards. This change gives the town more flexibility in staffing its police force while ensuring all personnel meet established professional standards.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill enhances local law enforcement capacity by allowing retired officers to serve as special police, strengthening community safety and police resources.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing

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in committee · Massachusetts · House Mar 25, 2026

H 5305: An Act promoting rule of law, oversight, trust and equal constitutional treatment

This Massachusetts bill expands protections for people regardless of immigration status by limiting civil immigration enforcement activities within state facilities and requiring clear guidelines for interactions with law enforcement. The legislation allows the governor to restrict immigration enforcement in nonpublic areas of state buildings and mandates that correctional facilities provide detained individuals with written notices about their legal rights in their primary language. Additionally, the bill requires facilities to ensure confidential attorney-client communications and maintain detailed records of immigration-related detentions. State agencies and private organizations must also follow multilingual guidelines on how to verify law enforcement authority and document immigration enforcement interactions.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill enhances oversight, protects civil rights, and improves transparency in law enforcement interactions, aligning with criminal justice reform principles.85% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationBill expands protections for immigrants by limiting civil immigration enforcement in state facilities and ensuring language access for detained individuals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Detention Enforcement Sanctuary Policies

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passed · Massachusetts · House May 5, 2026

H 5157: An Act relative to safer schools

This bill limits school resource officers' (SROs) roles in schools by prohibiting them from handling routine discipline or replacing counselors. It requires SROs to only intervene in serious criminal incidents (like physical harm, malicious property damage, or theft of significant value) and mandates de-escalation training. Schools must annually report costs, mental health budgets, and detailed data on student interactions with SROs (including arrests and referrals), with the education department collecting and publishing this data. The bill also creates grants to help schools adopt non-law enforcement safety practices, such as conflict resolution and culturally affirming approaches.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRestricts SROs to serious incidents, mandates de-escalation, reduces school arrests - aligns with criminal justice reform to limit unnecessary law enforcement involvement.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill restricts SROs from routine discipline, mandates de-escalation training, and requires mental health budget reporting - promoting student safety and resource allocation within schools.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement School Safety Student Health

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in committee · Massachusetts · House Jun 3, 2026

H 5050: An Act making appropriations for the fiscal year 2026 to provide for supplementing certain existing appropriations and for responding to recent federal actions

H 5050 is primarily an appropriations bill that allocates additional funding for state government operations in fiscal year 2026, including $300 million for group insurance premiums and $31 million for correctional facility operations. Its most significant policy change (Section 5) creates new restrictions on civil immigration enforcement at child care facilities: it prohibits law enforcement from entering licensed child care centers, family child care homes, or school-aged programs without a judicial warrant and prior approval from the facility director. The bill also requires these facilities to establish policies for handling immigration enforcement interactions, including verifying warrants and designating staff to manage such encounters. These provisions directly affect child care providers and law enforcement agencies operating near early childhood facilities.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds correctional facilities ($31M), directly supporting criminal justice operations per appropriations allocation.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllocates $300M for group insurance premiums, directly funding health coverage under state operations per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Law Enforcement

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in committee · Massachusetts · Senate Feb 12, 2026

SD 3638: An Act to de-ICE Massachusetts law enforcement

By Ms. Rausch, a petition (accompanied by bill) (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Rebecca L. Rausch for legislation to de-ICE Massachusetts law enforcement. Public Safety and Homeland Security.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill restricts state law enforcement cooperation with ICE, alignating with criminal justice reform by protecting civil rights and reducing immigration-related overreach in law enforcement.92% confidence ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationBill explicitly aims to remove Massachusetts law enforcement from ICE cooperation, restricting state involvement in federal immigration enforcement.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Enforcement Sanctuary Policies

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in committee · Massachusetts · House Jan 29, 2026

H 4999: An Act to protect victims of stalking in violation of harassment prevention orders

This bill requires law enforcement to notify victims when harassment prevention orders (for stalking or harassment) are served, not served, or expire. It directly affects victims of stalking who have these court orders by ensuring they receive timely updates about the order's status. Key provisions mandate that police inform victims within 12 hours if an order isn't served, then every 24 hours until service is complete, and also notify them if the order expires. The law applies to both temporary and permanent orders under Chapters 209A and 258E of Massachusetts law.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeProtects victims via mandatory law enforcement notifications on stalking order status, enhancing victim safety and court order enforcement in criminal justice.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Domestic Violence Law Enforcement

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introduced · Massachusetts · House

HD 5610: An Act making appropriations for the fiscal year 2026 to provide for supplementing certain existing appropriations and for responding to recent federal actions

This bill primarily allocates funding for Massachusetts state operations in fiscal year 2026, including $12.3 million for indigent legal services and $300 million for group health insurance. It also includes significant policy changes: it removes a citizenship application requirement for financial assistance programs and adds privacy protections for applicant information. Most notably, Section 5 creates new rules for child care settings, requiring law enforcement to obtain a judicial warrant before entering licensed child care centers, family child care homes, or school-aged programs for immigration enforcement. These rules mandate that staff verify warrants, obtain director approval before allowing entry, and limit access to areas without children. The policy directly affects child care providers and law enforcement interactions within these facilities.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $12.3M for indigent legal services and $300M for group health insurance, directly funding public services through state appropriations.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAllocates $12.3M for indigent legal services, directly supporting defendants' access to counsel in criminal cases.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllocates $300M for group health insurance, removes citizenship barriers for financial assistance, and adds privacy protections - expanding access and strengthening coverage.95% confidence ✓ ImmigrationSupports ImmigrationRemoves citizenship requirement for financial assistance and adds privacy protections, increasing immigrant access to state services while limiting data sharing with federal enforcement.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill explicitly adds privacy protections for applicant information, directly advancing data privacy - a core component of technology policy.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Insurance Citizenship & Naturalization Enforcement

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introduced · Massachusetts · Senate Jan 29, 2026

SD 3623: Plymouth District Attorney -- 2025 Forfeiture Report

Report of the Plymouth District Attorney (pursuant to Section 47(d) of Chapter 94C of the General Laws) submitting its 2025 report relative to the use of monies in the law enforcement trust fund for the purposes of drug rehabilitation, drug education, and other anti-drug or neighborhood crime watch programs

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates report on law enforcement trust fund use for drug rehabilitation, education, and community programs, promoting rehabilitation-focused criminal justice reform over punitive measures.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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passed · Massachusetts · House Apr 23, 2026

H 2585: An Act relative to police chief reform and improvement – certification act

By Representative Day of Stoneham (by request), a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2585) of Vincent Lawrence Dixon relative to police chief reform, improvement and certification. Public Safety and Homeland Security.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill focuses on police chief reform and certification, enhancing accountability standards in law enforcement, aligning with criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing

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introduced · Massachusetts · Senate Oct 2, 2025

SD 3247: Middlesex District Attorney -- 2025 Forfeiture Report

Report of the Middlesex District Attorney (pursuant to Section 47(d) of Chapter 94C of the General Laws) submitting its 2025 report relative to the use of monies in the law enforcement trust fund for the purposes of drug rehabilitation, drug education, and other anti-drug or neighborhood crime watch programs

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates reporting on law enforcement trust fund use for drug rehab, education, and crime prevention programs, directly funding rehabilitation initiatives aligned with criminal justice reform.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

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