HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1589        FILED ON: 1/16/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1436

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Kate Hogan

_________________

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 criminalizing sexual assault by fraud of a medical professional.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Kate Hogan

3rd Middlesex

1/16/2019

District Attorney Marian T. Ryan

Office of the Middlesex District Attorney, 15 Commonwealth Avenue, Woburn, MA 01801

1/16/2019

Hannah Kane

11th Worcester

1/24/2019

Danielle W. Gregoire

4th Middlesex

1/24/2019

Carole A. Fiola

6th Bristol

1/18/2019

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

20th Middlesex

1/18/2019

Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.

12th Hampden

1/17/2019

Marcos A. Devers

16th Essex

1/18/2019

Colleen M. Garry

36th Middlesex

1/30/2019

William L. Crocker, Jr.

2nd Barnstable

1/31/2019

Elizabeth A. Poirier

14th Bristol

1/17/2019

David Paul Linsky

5th Middlesex

1/24/2019

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

1/24/2019

David Allen Robertson

19th Middlesex

1/25/2019

Kathleen R. LaNatra

12th Plymouth

1/25/2019

Christine P. Barber

34th Middlesex

1/25/2019

Carolyn C. Dykema

8th Middlesex

1/25/2019

Ann-Margaret Ferrante

5th Essex

1/29/2019

Jennifer E. Benson

37th Middlesex

1/29/2019

Rebecca L. Rausch

Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex

1/30/2019

Mindy Domb

3rd Hampshire

1/31/2019

Nika C. Elugardo

15th Suffolk

1/31/2019

Natalie M. Blais

1st Franklin

2/1/2019

Bruce J. Ayers

1st Norfolk

2/1/2019

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

2/1/2019

Lori A. Ehrlich

8th Essex

2/1/2019

James K. Hawkins

2nd Bristol

2/1/2019

Michelle M. DuBois

10th Plymouth

2/1/2019


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1589        FILED ON: 1/16/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1436

By Ms. Hogan of Stow, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1436) of Kate Hogan and others relative to the penalty imposed for the crime of sexual assault by fraud of medical professionals.  The Judiciary.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

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

_______________

 

An Act criminalizing sexual assault by fraud of a medical professional.

 

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 265 of the General Laws as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition is hereby amended by inserting after Section 13H the following section:-

Section 13H½. Sexual Misconduct on a Patient or Client by a Medical Professional

(a)A person who is, or holds themselves out to be, a medical or health care professional, and who commits an indecent assault and battery on a patient or client during the course of diagnosis, counseling, or treatment, where consent to the act was procured by a false representation that the act was for a bona fide medical purpose, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than five years, or by imprisonment for not more than two and one-half years in a jail or house of correction.

(b)Definition. As used in this section, the following words shall have the following meaning:

“Medical or health care professional” refers to all individuals who provide professional medical or health services, diagnosis, treatment or counseling, and shall include, but not be limited to, doctors of medicine and osteopathy, dentists, nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, chiropractors, psychologists, social workers, medical technicians, mental health counselors, substance abuse counselors, clergy members, and marriage and family counselors or therapists.

SECTION 2. Said Chapter 265 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after Section 22C the following section:-

Section 22D: Rape on a Patient or Client by a Medical Professional

(a)A person who is, or holds themselves out to be, a medical or health care professional, and who knowingly induces a patient or client to engage in natural or unnatural sexual intercourse during the course of diagnosis, counseling, or treatment, where consent to the intercourse was procured by a false representation that the act was for a bona fide medical purpose, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than 20 years.

(b)Definition. As used in this section, the following words shall have the following meaning:

Medical or health care professional refers to all individuals who provide professional medical or health services, diagnosis, treatment or counseling, and shall include, but not be limited to, doctors of medicine and osteopathy, dentists, nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, chiropractors, psychologists, social workers, medical technicians, mental health counselors, substance abuse counselors, clergy members, and marriage and family counselors or therapists.

SECTION 3. Section 63 of Chapter 277 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 27, the word “13H” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- 13H, 13H ½.

SECTION 4. Said Chapter 277 of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 4, the word “22A” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- 22A, 22D.