SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1680        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1607

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

John C. Velis

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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 increasing public safety.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1680        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1607

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 relative to increasing public safety.

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 90C of the General Laws, as so appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended, in Section 2, by striking out the first paragraph and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:-

“Each police chief shall issue citation books to each permanent full-time police officer of his department whose duties may or will include traffic duty or traffic law enforcement, or directing or controlling traffic, and to such other officers as he at his discretion may determine. Each Sheriff may issue citation books to each deputy sheriff of his or her department whose duties may or will include traffic duty or traffic law enforcement, or directing or controlling traffic, and to such other deputy sheriffs he or her at his or her discretion may determine. Each police chief or Sheriff shall obtain a receipt on a form approved by the registrar from such officer to whom a citation book has been issued. Each police chief or Sheriff shall also maintain citation books at police or Sheriff’s department headquarters for the recording of automobile law violations by police officers or deputy sheriffs to whom citation books have not been issued. The executive office of public safety and security shall promulgate rules and regulations establishing the standards required by this section for the issuance of electronic citations, including the proper equipment to be maintained by each department. In lieu of issuing citation books or in addition thereto, each police chief or Sheriff whose department issues citations electronically may grant authority to do so to each police officer or deputy sheriff of his or her department who has been trained pursuant to the regulations promulgated pursuant to this section.

SECTION 2. Section 1 of chapter 90C of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting in the definition of “Police Chief” after the words “the colonel of state police” the following words: “the Sheriff of a county.”