SENATE DOCKET, NO. 399        FILED ON: 1/16/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 844

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

James B. Eldridge

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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 defining court administrative records as public records.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 399        FILED ON: 1/16/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 844

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

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An Act defining court administrative records as public records.

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 7 of chapter 4 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “thereof,” in line 152, the following words:- or of the office of court management or the office of probation,

SECTION 2.  Section 7 of said chapter 4, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “interest” in line 181, the following words:- , and information regarding the supervision of individual named probationers; provided that when such information is introduced in a judicial proceeding it shall be publicly accessible in the same manner as other judicial records.

SECTION 3.  Section 100 of chapter 276 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking, in lines 18 and 19 the following:- “shall not be regarded as public records and shall not be open for public inspection but”