SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1210        FILED ON: 1/15/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Pavel Payano

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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 Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1210        FILED ON: 1/15/2025

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1578 OF 2023-2024.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act relative to Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children.

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 22A of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 10. The executive office of public safety and security shall develop a guide entitled the Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children investigations that shall establish comprehensive minimum standards for law enforcement agencies in the commonwealth. Such agencies shall reference the guide and implement the policy and procedures in agency practices and the training of law enforcement officers.

The executive office shall reference, but shall not be limited to, the law enforcement policy and procedures for reports of missing and abducted children, developed by The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The executive office shall ensure that policies promulgated are comprehensive and inclusive to different categories of missing children, including, but not limited to, children under 10 years of age, children under 17 years of age, children with mental and physical limitations and dependent adults with mental and physical limitations.

The municipal police training committee shall include in their 2026 training year, a mandatory 2-hour in-service training program for veteran police officers on the Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children investigations. The municipal police training committee shall include training on the Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children investigations for new police officers attending the police academy. The training shall be conducted in each local police department at least once every three years.

The executive office of public safety and security shall ensure internal policies and the missing child clearinghouse intake form to reflect the Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children investigations. The missing child clearinghouse intake form shall be available in, but not limited to, the following languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Russian, German, Albanian, Khmer or Cambodian.

SECTION 2. Section 1 shall take effect on January 15, 2026.

SECTION 3. By January 15, 2027, law enforcement agencies in the commonwealth of Massachusetts shall adopt the Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children investigations as the minimum protocol in investigations of missing children.