Bill > H4068

This bill amends existing law, specifically section 32J of chapter 94C, to increase penalties for illegal drug dealing that occurs within a certain proximity to various youth-oriented and educational facilities. The bill expands the protected areas to include preschools, headstart facilities, elementary, vocational, and secondary schools, facilities managed by the department of youth services, boys and girls clubs, other youth organizations, municipal recreation buildings, and buildings used as youth recreational centers, as well as the campuses of higher education institutions. Additionally, it adds a buffer zone of one hundred feet around public parks or playgrounds. Violators caught dealing drugs in these areas will face a mandatory minimum prison sentence of two years, with potential sentences ranging from two to fifteen years in state prison or two to two and a half years in jail or house of correction, and a fine of at least one thousand dollars, but the fine cannot replace the mandatory minimum prison term. The bill also clarifies that ignorance of the protected zone's boundaries is not a valid defense.