HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3048        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1543

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Kip A. Diggs

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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 relative to interstate reporting of child abuse.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3048        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1543

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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An Act relative to interstate reporting of child abuse.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Chapter 119, as appearing in the 2018 official edition of the Massachusetts General Laws, is hereby amended by inserting at the end of section 51 B, subsection (b), the following:-

Section 1. Provided further, that if the  a suspected offender is additionally a resident of another state, the Department of Child and Family Services, when notified by the  mandated reporter, shall notify the local office of the district attorney. The office of the district attorney will be responsible for notifying the local police department or district attorney of the suspect’s primary residence of the 51A charges in Massachusetts. A data base will be maintained, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families, and the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General, of all suspected child abuse cases, and the mandated communications with corresponding states or jurisdictions.