Bill > H510

This bill proposes to amend existing Massachusetts General Laws related to the crime of rape, specifically chapter 265, sections 22, 22A, and 23, by removing language that allows for sentencing "for any term of years" or specifies minimum terms of imprisonment, such as "not less than 15 years," "not less than five years," or "not less than 20 years." The overall effect of these deletions is to remove the possibility of sentencing a convicted rapist to a fixed term of years, thereby paving the way for the imposition of a life sentence without the option of a shorter, determinate prison term, particularly for repeat offenders as indicated by the bill's title.