SENATE DOCKET, NO. 240        FILED ON: 1/12/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1576

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act punishing the failure to report certain fires..

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 268 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section: -

Section 41. Whoever (1) starts, causes or maintains a fire or explosion, which fire or explosion endangers the life, physical safety or property of another, and (2) willfully fails to take reasonable measures (i) to extinguish or control the fire or explosion when he can do so without substantial risk to himself, or (ii) to notify those that he knows or has reason to know are endangered by the fire or explosion when he can do so without substantial risk to himself, or (iii) to notify promptly the police or fire department, shall be punished by not more than 2 years in the house of correction or a fine of not less than $500 nor more than $1,000, or by both such fine and imprisonment.