HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3131        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1384

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Marjorie C. Decker

_________________

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 combating misinformation about ex-offender voting rights.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Marjorie C. Decker

25th Middlesex

1/16/2019

Brian M. Ashe

2nd Hampden

1/28/2019

Michael J. Barrett

Third Middlesex

1/29/2019

Mindy Domb

3rd Hampshire

1/30/2019

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

1/31/2019

Nika C. Elugardo

15th Suffolk

1/30/2019

Dylan A. Fernandes

Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket

1/25/2019

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

2/1/2019

Mary S. Keefe

15th Worcester

1/28/2019

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

1/29/2019

David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf

17th Worcester

1/28/2019


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3131        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1384

By Ms. Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1384) of Marjorie C. Decker and others relative to the notification of voter eligibility status of ex-offenders.  The Judiciary.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

An Act combating misinformation about ex-offender voting rights.

 

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 51 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 66, inserted by section 7A of chapter 205 of the acts of 2018, the following section:-

Section 67. (a) Any person who is convicted of a felony, as defined in section 1 of chapter 274, in the commonwealth, but is not sentenced to incarceration in a jail or correctional facility, shall be notified in writing by the ruling court, immediately following such conviction and sentencing, of his or her voter eligibility, and shall confirm, in writing, that he or she was so notified.

(b) A probation officer shall immediately notify, in writing, any person that is placed in their care, who was convicted of a felony or incarcerated due to a felony conviction, of said person’s voter eligibility status, shall provide said person with written information on voter eligibility and voter registration, and shall obtain written confirmation from said person that he or she was so notified.

(c) A parole officer shall immediately notify, in writing, any person that is placed in their care, who was incarcerated due to a felony conviction, of said person’s voter eligibility status, shall provide said person with written information on voter eligibility and voter registration, and shall obtain written confirmation from said person that he or she was so notified.

(d) Any person who is incarcerated due to a felony conviction shall, upon release from a jail or correctional facility, be notified, in writing, by said jail or facility of his or her voter eligibility and provided with written voter eligibility and voter registration information, and shall confirm, in writing, that he or she was so notified.

(e) The office of the commissioner of probation shall notify, in writing, any person that was convicted of a felony by a court of the commonwealth within the period of 10 years prior to the effective date of this section, who is not currently incarcerated, of their voter eligibility, shall provide said person with written voter eligibility and voter registration information and shall obtain written confirmation from said person that he or she was so notified.