HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2241        FILED ON: 1/15/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2130

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

William C. Galvin and Louis L. Kafka

_________________

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 requiring microphones and audio-recorders on tasers.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

William C. Galvin

6th Norfolk

1/15/2015

Louis L. Kafka

8th Norfolk

1/20/2015

Brian A. Joyce

Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth

1/16/2015


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2241        FILED ON: 1/15/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2130

By Messrs. Galvin of Canton and Kafka of Stoughton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2130) of William C. Galvin, Louis L. Kafka and Brian A. Joyce relative to the audio recording of taser use by municipal law enforcement officers.  Public Safety and Homeland Security.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3315 OF 2013-2014.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

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

_______________

 

An Act requiring microphones and audio-recorders on tasers.

 

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 140 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 131J the following section:-

131J1/2. In a municipality that accepts this section, any portable device or weapon described in section 131J that is possessed by a municipal law enforcement officer for the purpose of his or her official duties shall be capable of recording and amplifying sound; provided, however, that an officer may possess a portable device or weapon that is incapable of recording and amplifying sound if the portable device or weapon was purchased by the municipality before this section is accepted.

SECTION 2. Subsection D of section 99 of chapter 272 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting, after paragraph 1 (f), the following paragraph:

(g) for a law enforcement officer, acting in the performance of his or her official duties, while clearly identified as a law enforcement officer to violate the provisions of this section. Notwithstanding this provision, law enforcement officers may not record inside a person’s residence without the consent of a resident.