HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2678        FILED ON: 1/16/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1511

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

David M. Nangle

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act Relative to Impeding the Flow of Traffic on Public Ways.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

David M. Nangle

17th Middlesex

1/16/2015

Thomas A. Golden, Jr.

16th Middlesex

1/16/2015

Robert F. Fennell

10th Essex

1/16/2015

Paul Tucker

7th Essex

1/16/2015

Susan Williams Gifford

2nd Plymouth

9/24/2019

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

20th Middlesex

9/24/2019

David K. Muradian, Jr.

9th Worcester

9/24/2019

Leonard Mirra

2nd Essex

1/16/2015

Rady Mom

18th Middlesex

9/24/2019

Elizabeth A. Poirier

14th Bristol

9/24/2019

Colleen M. Garry

36th Middlesex

9/24/2019

James J. Dwyer

30th Middlesex

9/24/2019

Thomas P. Kennedy

Second Plymouth and Bristol

9/24/2019

Michael F. Rush

Norfolk and Suffolk

9/24/2019

Louis L. Kafka

8th Norfolk

9/24/2019

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

9/24/2019

Walter F. Timilty

7th Norfolk

9/24/2019

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

9/24/2019

Leah Cole

12th Essex

9/24/2019

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

9/24/2019

Thomas J. Calter

12th Plymouth

9/24/2019

Kevin J. Kuros

8th Worcester

9/24/2019

Joan B.  Lovely

Second Essex

9/24/2019

Keiko M. Orrall

12th Bristol

9/24/2019

Carole A. Fiola

6th Bristol

9/24/2019


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2678        FILED ON: 1/16/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1511

By Mr. Nangle of Lowell, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1511) of David M. Nangle and others relative to the crime of intentionally obstructing vehicular of pedestrian traffic upon a public way.  The Judiciary.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

_______________

 

An Act Relative to Impeding the Flow of Traffic on Public Ways.

 

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

Chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 official edition, is hereby amended by inserting after Section 24 ½ the following section:-

Section 24 ¾:

(a)Whoever, intentionally and without lawful authority, or a lawful permit, blocks, obstructs, impedes, or otherwise interferes with the normal and reasonable movement of vehicular or pedestrian traffic upon a public street or highway, by means of a vehicle, barricade, object, or other device or by artifice, or with his or her person, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $500.00 nor more than $5,000.00, or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both. Whosever commits a second or subsequent violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than $2,500.00 nor more than $10,000.00, or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.

(b)Whoever violates the provisions of subsection (a)  in such a manner as results in substantial bodily injury to another person shall be punished by a fine of not less than $5,000.00 nor more than $10,000.00, or by imprisonment for not more than two years, or both.

(c)Whoever violates the provisions of subsection (a) in such a manner as results in the death of another, whether directly or indirectly, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than five years, or in a house of correction for not more than two and one-half years.

(d) Whoever, intentionally and without lawful authority, or a lawful permit, drives or propels a motor vehicle or non-motorized vehicle at such a slow speed as to block, obstruct, impede, or otherwise interfere with the normal and reasonable movement of vehicular or pedestrian traffic upon a public street or highway, except when reduced speed is necessary for safe operation in consideration of the use of the roadway and/or conditions of travel; or in compliance with law; or when the vehicle is temporarily unable to maintain a greater speed due to mechanical breakdown or emergency, or a combination of the weight of the vehicle and the grade of the highway, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $500.00 nor more than $5,000.00, or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both. Whosever commits a second or subsequent violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than $2,500.00 nor more than $10,000.00, or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or both.

(e)Whoever violates the provisions of subsection (d) in such a manner as results in substantial bodily injury to another person shall be punished by a fine of not less than $5,000.00 nor more than $10,000.00, or by imprisonment for not more than two years, or both.

(f)Whoever violates the provisions of subsection (d) in such a manner as results in the death of another, whether directly or indirectly, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than five years, or in a house of correction for not more than two and one-half years.

(g)A person found guilty of violating one or more of these subsections, in all cases upon conviction, in addition to any other punishment shall be ordered to make restitution to responding public and /or private emergency service agencies for reasonable costs incurred in responding to said violation(s).

(h) Nothing in these sections shall apply to public safety personnel performing their duties; emergency personnel responding to an emergency or report thereof and/or rendering emergency aid; private persons rendering aid in an emergency; or persons engaged in maintaining, rearranging, inspecting, constructing or repairing roadways or other public utility facilities in or adjacent to a street or highway, or in activities lawfully related thereto.

(i)A police officer may arrest without warrant any person the officer has probable cause to believe has committed a violation of this Section, whether or not the offense occurred in his presence.