SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1665        FILED ON: 1/14/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1403

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act prohibiting persons convicted of a felony from registering as a Legislative or Executive Agent.

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.  Section 41 of chapter 3 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the fifth paragraph the following paragraph:- Prior to annual registration, the state secretary shall require every legislative and executive agent to successfully complete an approved education course, which shall consist of:-

not more than 2 hours provided by the office of the attorney general;

not more than 2 hours provided by the office of campaign and political finance; and

not more than 2 hours provided by the office of the state secretary.

          SECTION 2.  Said chapter 3 is hereby further amended by inserting after section 41 the following section:- Section 41A. (a) No person convicted in the commonwealth of an offense punishable by death or imprisonment in the state prison, or of a like offense in another jurisdiction, and for whom all appellate review of the original trial court proceedings has been exhausted, shall be eligible to register as a legislative agent or executive agent under section 41.

(b) The state secretary shall require that legislative and executive agents affirm their eligibility to register under this section on annual registration forms.

(c) Any legislative or executive agent convicted of a felony shall notify the state secretary, not later than 5p.m. on the fifth business day after the date of conviction.  Upon receipt of such notification, the state secretary shall terminate such person’s registration, effective immediately.

(d) A legislative agent or executive agent whose registration is terminated under this section shall file an itemized statement pursuant to section 43 for the period of registration from the most recent filed statement to the date of termination.