HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3411        FILED ON: 1/20/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1542

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Richard M. Haggerty

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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 to protect victims of coercive control.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3411        FILED ON: 1/20/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1542

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

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An Act to protect victims of coercive control.

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. (a)  Section of 1 of Chapter 209A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting the following after subsection (c) in the definition of “Abuse”:-

                  (d) coercive control

(b) For the purposes of this section, the following words shall have the following meanings:

"Coercive control" includes, but is not limited to, unreasonably engaging in-person or through the use of technology any of the following:

(i) Isolating the family member, household member, or former partner from friends, relatives or other sources of support;

(ii) Depriving the family member, household member, or former partner of basic necessities;

(iii) Controlling, regulating or monitoring the family, household member, or former partner movements, communications, daily behavior, finances, economic resources or access to services;

(iv) Compelling the family member, household member, or former partner by force, threat or intimidation, including, but not limited to, threats based on actual or suspected immigration status, to (1) engage in conduct from which such family member, household member, or former partner has a right to abstain, or (2) abstain from conduct that such family member, household member, or former partner has a right to pursue;

(v) Committing or threatening to commit cruelty to animals that intimidates the family member, household member, or former partner; or

(vi) Forced sex acts, or threats of a sexual nature against the family member, household member, or former partner, including, but not limited to, threatened acts of sexual conduct, threats based on a person's sexuality or threats to release sexual images or videos.

(vii)  Intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causing damage to property so as to intimidate or attempt to control the behavior of the family member, household member, or former partner

(viii) Closely monitoring the family member, household member, or former partner activities, communications, and movements

(ix) Threatening to publish information or make reports to the police or the authorities about the family member, household member, or former partner