Massachusetts legislation · 194th General Court
Massachusetts S1276: An Act relative to dangerousness hearings
Status: In committee, July 27, 2026
What the bill says
An act of delinquency, shall be requested to voluntarily provide the court with his or her cellular telephone number, if the defendant or guardian has such a device, but may decline to do so; provided, however, that upon the order of a judicial officer a defendant may be required to provide such information. The executive office of the trial court shall procure or establish a service using a system of automated text messaging to remind criminal defendants of mandatory court appearance dates in advance of the date of such appearance. Such service shall be made available to all criminal defendan.
From the introduced text, February 27, 2025:
an act of delinquency, shall be requested to voluntarily provide the court with his or her cellular telephone number, if the defendant or guardian has such a device, but may decline to do so; provided, however, that upon the order of a judicial officer a defendant may be required to provide such information. The executive office of the trial court shall procure or establish a service using a system of automated text messaging to remind criminal defendants of mandatory court appearance dates in advance of the date of such appearance. Such service shall be made available to all criminal defendants and to the guardians of juvenile defendants free of charge. Information so provided by a criminal defendant or the guardian of a juvenile defendant pursuant to this subsection shall not be deemed to be a public record, shall not be provided to law enforcement agencies for criminal investigative purposes, and may not be used against the defendant in any criminal proceeding; provided, however, that the fact that a party did or did not participate in this system shall be marked on the docket, and such fact may be used in a proceeding if otherwise admissible. This subsection shall take effect on July 1, 2023. SECTION 4. Said chapter 276 is hereby amended by inserting after section 82A the following section:- …
Sponsors
- John Velis (D, Hampden and Hampshire) · primary sponsor