In response to the Dallas massacre, our Massachusetts state legislature has introduced the following bills.
1. HB4440: An act relative to assault and battery on a police officer
Amends various GLs to punish whoever commits an assault and battery upon a
police officer and causes the officer serious bodily injury, by 1 to 10 years in state
prison or 1 to 2½ years in the house of correction, with a minimum mandatory 1
year to serve, and a fine between $500 and $10,000; and provides that a judge
may consider that a defendant charged with this offense is dangerous enough to
justify setting bail on the defendant or ordering such defendant's release, but with
Lead sponsor: Governor Charlie Baker (R)
Co-sponsors: None
Status: In Judiciary Committee. Hearing held 7/13/16. 4 testimonies in
opposition, 6 testimonies in support.
2. HB4466: An act protecting police officers
Section 13D of Chapter 265, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is
hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following new paragraph:
Whoever commits an assault or an assault and battery upon a law enforcement
officer, when such an officer is engaged in the performance of their duties, that
results in bodily injury shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for
not more than 5 years or in the house of correction for not more than 2 1/2 years,
or by a fine of not more than $5,000, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Second or subsequent assaults upon a law enforcement officer, when such an
officer is engaged in the performance of their duties, or assaults and battery,
resulting in bodily injury shall be punished by a fine of not more than $10,000,
and imprisonment for not less than 1 year in a house of correction or more than
10 years in state prison.
Lead sponsor: Rep. Paul Frost (R-Auburn)
Co-sponsors: Rep. Ashe, Brian (D); Rep. Berthiaume Jr., Donald (R); Rep.
Boldyga, Nicholas (R); Rep. Campanale, Kate (R); Rep. Cantwell, James (D);
Rep. DeCoste, David (R); Rep. Diehl, Geoff (R); Rep. Dooley, Shawn (R); Rep.
Durant, Peter (R); Rep. Dwyer, James (D); Rep. Ferguson, Kimberly (R);Rep.
Fiola, Carole (D); Rep. Gordon, Kenneth (D); Rep. Gregoire, Danielle (D); Rep.
Haddad, Patricia (D); Rep. Hill, Bradford (R); Rep. Howitt, Steven (R); Rep. Hunt,
Randy (R); Rep. Kane, Hannah (R); Rep. Kelcourse, James (R); Rep. Kuros,
Kevin (R); Rep. Lombardo, Marc (R); Rep. McKenna, Joseph (R); Rep.
McMurtry, Paul (D); Rep. Miceli, James (D); Rep. Muratore, Mathew (R); Rep.
Orrall, Keiko (R); Rep. Poirier, Elizabeth (R);Rep. Puppolo, Jr., Angelo (D); Rep.
Rogers, John (D); Rep. Smola, Todd (R); Rep. Vieira, David (R); Rep. Vincent,
RoseLee (D); Rep. Whelan, Timothy (R); Rep. Wong, Donald (R); Rep. Zlotnik,