Bill > H522

This bill proposes to amend Chapter 269 of the General Laws by adding a new section that establishes a stricter payment deadline for fines related to civil violations. Specifically, it mandates that fines levied for civil violations must be paid within 30 days of receiving a civil citation, which is a formal notice of a violation. If an individual receives three citations for the same civil violation within the same calendar year and fails to pay the fine for the third citation within the 30-day period, they will be considered to have committed a misdemeanor, a less serious criminal offense. This misdemeanor offense carries a potential penalty of a fine up to $1000, up to six months in a house of correction (a local jail), or both. However, this new provision will not apply to civil violations such as parking tickets or dog violations.