MA S919

Bill

Relative to a person’s failure to appear in court due to enrollment in rehabilitation or detoxification facility

Introduced
01/22/2019

In Committee
01/22/2019

Crossed Over

Passed

Dead
12/31/2020

Introduced Session

191st General Court

Bill Summary

For legislation relative to the failure to appear in court due to enrollment in rehabilitation or detoxification facilities. The Judiciary.

AI Summary

This bill amends several sections of the Massachusetts General Laws to address the issue of a person's failure to appear in court due to their enrollment in a drug or alcohol rehabilitation or detoxification facility. The key provisions are: 1. No warrant or capias (writ of arrest) shall be issued for a person who fails to appear at a civil or criminal proceeding due to their active enrollment in an inpatient rehabilitation or detoxification facility, provided they submit verification of their enrollment to the court and request a new court date. A new date will be scheduled for after the person's scheduled release from the facility, and they will not be held in contempt of court. 2. For the purposes of determining "reasonable cause" for a person's failure to appear under Section 26 of Chapter 276, it shall be deemed reasonable if the person was unable to appear due to their active enrollment in a rehabilitation or detoxification facility, as verified by the facility. 3. The bill also adds a new Section 26A to Chapter 276, which contains similar provisions to Section 1 regarding no warrants or capias being issued for criminal proceedings missed due to facility enrollment. The overall purpose of this bill is to prevent individuals actively engaged in substance abuse treatment from facing additional legal consequences for missing court dates as a result of their treatment.

Committee Categories

Justice

Sponsors (3)

Diana Dizoglio (D), Patrick O'Connor (R), Becca Rausch (D),

Last Action

Accompanied a study order, see S2496 (on 02/03/2020)

Official Document

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S919

(14 Companion Bills)

Version:

Document Type	Source Location
State Bill Page	https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S919
Bill	https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S919.pdf

Bill	Bill Name	Last Action	Type
H1376	Permitting persons to bring car damage arising from a pothole against the public entity into small claims court	Accompanied a study order, see H5081	Similar To
H1516	Relative to a person’s failure to appear in court due to enrollment in rehabilitation or detoxification facility	Accompanied a study order, see H5081	Similar To
H2115	Relative to construction and rehabilitation of public safety facilities	Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means	Similar To
H3275	To update expungement	Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling	Similar To
H3319	Resolutions requesting the Governor (with consent of the council) to remove Susan L. Jacobs from the office of Associate Justice of the Bristol Probate and Family Court of Bristol County	Accompanied a study order, see H5081	Similar To
H3439	Relative to financial records of defendants in small claims court	Accompanied a study order, see H5081	Similar To
H3477	Relative to testimony in OUI alcohol cases	Accompanied a study order, see H5081	Similar To
S2237	Establishing a sick leave bank for Peter Ferony, an employee of the Massachusetts Trial Court	Signed by the Governor, Chapter 38 of the Acts of 2019	Similar To
S2496	Order relative to authorizing the joint committee on the Judiciary to make an investigation and study of certain current Senate documents relative to judicial issues	Discharged to the committee on Senate Rules	Replaced by
S837	Providing indemnity from prosecution for probation officers and court officers employed by the Trial Court	Accompanied a study order, see S2496	Similar To
S853	Regarding district court jurisdiction of threats to use deadly weapons, explosives, chemical or biological agents, or other devices or substances capable of causing death, serious bodily injury or substantial property damage	Accompanied a study order, see S2496	Similar To
S881	Relative to the compensation of a guardian ad litem in a contempt action	Accompanied a study order, see S2496	Similar To
S959	Relative to examinations for applicants to the trial court	Accompanied a study order, see S2496	Similar To
S969	Relative to visitation and family court matters in domestic violence cases	Accompanied a study order, see S2496	Similar To

Bill

Bill Name

Last Action

Type

H1376

Permitting persons to bring car damage arising from a pothole against the public entity into small claims court

Accompanied a study order, see H5081

Similar To

H1516

Relative to a person’s failure to appear in court due to enrollment in rehabilitation or detoxification facility

Accompanied a study order, see H5081

Similar To

H2115

Relative to construction and rehabilitation of public safety facilities

Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means

Similar To

H3275

To update expungement

Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling

Similar To

H3319

Resolutions requesting the Governor (with consent of the council) to remove Susan L. Jacobs from the office of Associate Justice of the Bristol Probate and Family Court of Bristol County

Accompanied a study order, see H5081

Similar To

H3439

Relative to financial records of defendants in small claims court

Accompanied a study order, see H5081

Similar To

H3477

Relative to testimony in OUI alcohol cases

Accompanied a study order, see H5081

Similar To

S2237

Establishing a sick leave bank for Peter Ferony, an employee of the Massachusetts Trial Court

Signed by the Governor, Chapter 38 of the Acts of 2019

Similar To

S2496

Order relative to authorizing the joint committee on the Judiciary to make an investigation and study of certain current Senate documents relative to judicial issues

Discharged to the committee on Senate Rules

Replaced by

S837

Providing indemnity from prosecution for probation officers and court officers employed by the Trial Court

Accompanied a study order, see S2496

Similar To

S853

Regarding district court jurisdiction of threats to use deadly weapons, explosives, chemical or biological agents, or other devices or substances capable of causing death, serious bodily injury or substantial property damage

Accompanied a study order, see S2496

Similar To

S881

Relative to the compensation of a guardian ad litem in a contempt action

Accompanied a study order, see S2496

Similar To

S959

Relative to examinations for applicants to the trial court

Accompanied a study order, see S2496

Similar To

S969

Relative to visitation and family court matters in domestic violence cases

Accompanied a study order, see S2496

Similar To

Bill > S919

MA S919

summary

Introduced Session

Bill Summary

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Sponsors (3)

Last Action

Official Document

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