Bill > S1751

This bill establishes a special commission to comprehensively study Massachusetts' response to and resources for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The commission will be composed of 19 members, including government officials, agency directors, advocates, and two survivors of domestic abuse, chaired by the director of the Massachusetts office for victim assistance. The commission's mandate includes analyzing current victim resources, evaluating state departments' effectiveness in maintaining victim safety, studying probation department policies, and considering ways to improve victim engagement and support. Specifically, the commission will examine income-based challenges victims face in probation proceedings, explore methods to hold offenders accountable while reducing recidivism, review written resources for victims, and assess the potential for a complaint system to report probation officer misconduct. The commission is required to convene by December 1, 2025, and must produce a detailed report with findings and legislative recommendations by December 1, 2026, which will be submitted to the House and Senate Clerks and the Joint Committee on the Judiciary.

Budget and Finance, Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S1751