HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 482        FILED ON: 1/12/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1790

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act establishing the murder victim families assistance fund..

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

Chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 2XXX the following section:-

Section YYY.  There shall be established and set up o the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Murder Victims Families Assistance Fund.  The purpose of the fund shall be to provide fiscal aid to immediate families of murder victims.  Immediate family shall include spouse, child, siblings, parent, stepparent or legal guardian unless such family member has been charged in the crime.  There shall be credited to such fund revenues voluntarily contributed thereto from a publisher, author, movie or television studio or company that creates a book, movie or television show based on a murder or murders committed in the commonwealth.  The Massachusetts Film Office shall notify such persons of the existence of the fund.  The victim and witness assistance board shall be the custodian of the fund and shall receive, deposit and invest all monies transmitted to it under this section and shall credit interest and earnings on the fund to the fund.  The various district attorneys shall request distribute monies from the fund to the immediate families of murder victims.