SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1295 FILED ON: 1/19/2017
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 919
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Kathleen O'Connor Ives
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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 denying paternity rights to perpetrators of rape.
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PETITION OF:
Name: | District/Address: |
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Kathleen O'Connor Ives | First Essex |
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Barbara A. L'Italien | Second Essex and Middlesex | 2/2/2017 |
James B. Eldridge | Middlesex and Worcester | 2/2/2017 |
Linda Dean Campbell | 15th Essex | 2/2/2017 |
Sal N. DiDomenico | Middlesex and Suffolk | 2/3/2017 |
Michelle M. DuBois | 10th Plymouth | 6/6/2017 |
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1295 FILED ON: 1/19/2017
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 919
By Ms. O'Connor Ives, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 919) of Kathleen O'Connor Ives, Barbara A. L'Italien, James B. Eldridge, Linda Dean Campbell and others for legislation to deny paternity rights to rapists. The Judiciary. |
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)
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An Act denying paternity rights to perpetrators of rape.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
Section 3 of chapter 209C of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after subsection (e) the following subsection:- (f) Where a court finds by clear and convincing evidence that a child was conceived by an act of rape, as defined in sections 22 and 22A of chapter 265, the court shall not establish paternity in favor of the perpetrator of the rape or grant the perpetrator of the rape custody or visitation rights or any other parental rights. Notwithstanding the foregoing, nothing in this section shall: 1) prevent a court from ordering that the perpetrator of the rape pay child support; or 2) limit the right of the child to inherit from or through the perpetrator of the rape.