HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2361        FILED ON: 1/14/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1758

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act relative to the concealment of the death of children and penalties for the sale or purchase of minor children..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 272 is hereby amended by striking out Section 22 and inserting in place thereof the following:—Section 22. Whoever conceals the death of a child, so that it cannot be ascertained whether it was born alive or, if born alive, whether it was murdered, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 5 years or in a house of correction for not more than two and one-half years.

SECTION 2. Chapter 272 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after Section 22 the following section:—

Section 22A. Unless otherwise provided by law, whoever trades, sells or arranges for the sale of a minor child to another person for money or property, real or personal, or anything else of value, or whoever receives such minor child for such payment or thing of value shall be punished by imprisonment in state prison for not more than five years or in a house of correction for not more than two and one-half years.