Bill > H1849

This bill establishes a permanent law revision commission to systematically review and modernize Massachusetts state laws. The commission will consist of 12 members, including legislative committee chairs, the attorney general, four attorneys appointed by different legislative leaders, representatives from the District Attorneys Association and public counsel services, and three gubernatorial appointees (including a retired judge, a law school faculty member, and a legal historian). The commission will meet at least four times annually and have several key responsibilities: identifying legal defects and anachronisms, considering law reform recommendations from professional legal organizations, receiving suggestions from judges and the public, recommending changes to eliminate outdated legal rules, suggesting the repeal of unconstitutional or implied-repeal statutes, evaluating the consolidation of laws, and improving legal accessibility through tools like open-source software. Additionally, the bill repeals or modifies several outdated sections of Massachusetts law, including sections related to obsolete criminal statutes concerning nightwalkers, sodomy, and certain public conduct offenses, effectively updating and streamlining the state's legal code to reflect contemporary social standards and legal understanding.

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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1849