Bill > S1199

This bill proposes to modify the Massachusetts Tort Claims Act by expanding the definition of "employer" to explicitly include law enforcement councils. Specifically, the bill amends section 1 of chapter 258 of the Massachusetts General Laws by inserting the phrase "any Law Enforcement Council established pursuant to section 4J of chapter 40" after the word "Authority" in the existing text. This addition means that law enforcement councils, which are collaborative groups of local police departments that work together on regional law enforcement initiatives, will now be considered employers under the tort claims law. By making this change, the bill ensures that law enforcement councils have the same legal protections and are subject to the same liability provisions as other governmental employers when facing potential tort claims. The modification appears to be a technical clarification that provides legal certainty regarding the status of these regional law enforcement organizations under Massachusetts state law.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S1199