Criminal Justice

passed · Massachusetts · House Dec 31, 2025

H 1758: An Act for fair compensation for erroneous felony conviction

By Representative Holmes of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1758) of Russell E. Holmes relative to compensation for erroneous felony convictions. The Judiciary.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCompensates individuals wrongfully convicted, advancing civil rights and accountability in criminal justice reform per bill title and summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Victims' Rights

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passed · Massachusetts · House Mar 26, 2026

H 1654: An Act to enhance the rights of crime victims in the commonwealth

By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1654) of Marjorie C. Decker relative to the rights of victims of certain crimes. The Judiciary.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill explicitly enhances crime victims' rights, aligning with support indicators like protecting civil rights within the criminal justice system.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Victims' Rights

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passed · Massachusetts · Senate Feb 5, 2026

S 1182: An Act promoting equity in traffic stops

By Ms. Miranda, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1182) of Liz Miranda for legislation relative to evidence obtained during a traffic stop. The Judiciary.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill promotes equity in traffic stops, directly addressing law enforcement bias and evidence collection. Aligns with criminal justice reform by enhancing accountability and protecting civil rights in policing practices.90% confidence

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passed · Massachusetts · House Mar 26, 2026

H 1965: An Act relative to compensation for victims of wrongful conviction

By Representatives Roy of Franklin and Worrell of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1965) of Jeffrey N. Roy, Christopher J. Worrell and Sean Reid relative to compensation for victims of wrongful conviction. The Judiciary.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCompensating victims of wrongful conviction directly protects civil rights and advances criminal justice reform by addressing systemic errors in the justice system.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Victims' Rights

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passed · Massachusetts · Senate Dec 18, 2025

S 1212: An Act to enhance courthouse security

This bill (S 1212) proposes legislative changes to improve security measures at courthouses. It directly affects courthouses, court staff, and the public using judicial facilities by aiming to strengthen physical and procedural safeguards. The official abstract states the bill seeks to enhance courthouse security but does not specify exact mechanisms or funding details in the provided text. As the abstract is brief, the summary is limited to the stated purpose without describing specific provisions. The bill was introduced by Senator Michael O. Moore and referred to the Judiciary committee.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill enhances courthouse security (a core judicial component of criminal justice) by strengthening physical/procedural safeguards, directly protecting the court system as defined in the topic.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts

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passed · Massachusetts · Senate Jan 29, 2026

S 1054: An Act improving juvenile justice data collection

By Ms. Creem, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1054) of Cynthia Stone Creem for legislation to improve data collection in the juvenile justice system. The Judiciary.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeImproves juvenile justice data collection, aligning with evidence-based reform indicators like enhanced oversight and policy evaluation in criminal justice systems.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Juvenile Justice

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passed · Massachusetts · House Mar 26, 2026

H 1995: An Act regularizing sentencing for hate crimes

H 1995, "An Act regularizing sentencing for hate crimes," proposes standardized sentencing guidelines for hate crimes in Massachusetts. The bill requires courts to apply specific, consistent sentencing parameters when a crime is determined to be motivated by bias against protected characteristics like race, religion, or sexual orientation. This directly affects judges who impose sentences, prosecutors who charge hate crimes, and defendants convicted of such offenses by eliminating inconsistent penalties. The bill aims to ensure that sentencing for hate crimes reflects the severity of bias-motivated acts through clear, uniform rules.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeStandardizes hate crime sentencing to ensure consistent application of bias-motivated crime penalties, aligning with civil rights protections in criminal justice reform.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sentencing

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passed · Massachusetts · Senate Feb 5, 2026

S 1246: An Act to add sex and gender as protected classes for crime prosecutions

This bill (S 1246) would amend state criminal statutes to explicitly include "sex" and "gender" as protected classes when determining bias motivation in crime prosecutions. It directly affects prosecutors and courts, who would consider whether a crime was motivated by bias against someone's sex or gender identity. The key mechanism is adding these categories to existing protections (like race or religion) in criminal code provisions related to bias-motivated offenses. This would expand the circumstances under which prosecutors can charge bias-motivated crimes, requiring courts to evaluate sex and gender as potential motivating factors.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill S 1246 explicitly adds sex/gender as protected classes for bias-motivated prosecutions, strengthening civil rights protections in criminal justice per indicators.95% confidence

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passed · Massachusetts · Senate Mar 23, 2026

S 1064: An Act to eliminate disparate impact

S 1064, titled "An Act to eliminate disparate impact," aims to restore enforcement of civil rights laws by requiring government agencies and covered entities (such as housing providers and employers) to assess policies for disproportionate negative effects on protected groups like racial minorities or women. The key mechanism mandates proactive evaluation of policies to eliminate such "disparate impact" and requires corrective actions when identified. This bill directly affects organizations subject to civil rights laws, shifting focus from intent to outcomes in policy design. It seeks to strengthen enforcement by making it mandatory to address unequal results, rather than solely proving discriminatory intent.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill mandates government agencies to assess policies for disparate impact on protected groups, requiring corrective actions. This directly supports criminal justice reform by addressing racial disparities in law enforcement and policies.85% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill mandates housing providers to assess policies for disparate impact on protected groups, directly preventing housing discrimination per topic indicators.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill mandates employers assess policies for disparate impact on protected groups, directly advancing workers' rights by requiring proactive elimination of discriminatory practices in employment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Civil Rights

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passed · Massachusetts · Senate Feb 5, 2026

S 1248: An Act codifying organizational standing to protect and promote civil rights

This bill (S 1248) would codify the legal standing of public interest organizations to sue in court to protect civil rights. It directly affects civil rights groups, courts, and potentially the individuals whose rights are being defended. The key provision would formally establish that these organizations can bring lawsuits without needing to prove direct harm to themselves, streamlining legal challenges to civil rights violations. Sponsored by Senator Rebecca Rausch and referred to the Judiciary Committee, it aims to clarify and strengthen organizational access to courts for civil rights enforcement.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill enables civil rights groups to sue for violations without direct harm, advancing accountability and rights protection in criminal justice reform.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Civil Rights

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