SECTION 1. Chapter 265 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 13L, as appearing in the 2006 Official Edition, the following section:-

Section 13M. Whoever commits assault or assault and battery on a family or household member shall be punished by imprisonment in the house of correction for not more than 2 ½ years or by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 5 years. For the purposes of this section, “family or household member” shall be limited to persons who, on the date of the offense or within 5 years before the date of the offense: (a) are or were married to one another; (b) are or were residing together in the same household; (c) are or were related by blood or marriage; (d) have a child in common regardless of whether they have ever married or lived together; or (e) are or have been in a substantive dating or engagement relationship, which shall be determined by considering the following factors: (1) the length of time of the relationship; (2) the type of relationship; (3) the frequency of interaction between the parties; and (4) if the relationship has been terminated by either person, the length of time elapsed since the termination of the relationship.