SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1590        FILED ON: 1/16/2025

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

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Michael J. Barrett

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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 protecting inmate safety and the expenditure of state funds.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1590        FILED ON: 1/16/2025

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

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1479 OF 2023-2024.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

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

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An Act protecting inmate safety and the expenditure of state funds.

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

Chapter 127 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 172. No inmate or prisoner placed in the custody of a sheriff shall be transported outside of the commonwealth for the purposes of labor or public or community service programming unless there exists a bona fide public health or safety emergency. If such a bona fide public health or safety emergency exists, the sheriff shall file a description of the purpose, the proposed mode of transportation, the estimated duration of the time to be spent outside of the commonwealth, the housing and security arrangements to be made during the proposed stay and the estimated cost of the entire undertaking with the secretary of administration and finance, the secretary of the executive office of public safety and security, the chairs of the joint committee on public safety and homeland security and the chairs of the senate and house committees on ways and means and shall obtain written approval from the secretary of administration and finance and the secretary of the executive office of public safety and security prior to the commencement of said transport.