Massachusetts legislation · 194th General Court
Massachusetts H1689: An Act clarifying the child advocate’s authority to access juvenile records
Status: Failed, March 26, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text, February 27, 2025:
SECTION 1. Section 172 of chapter 6 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting in line 175 after the word “safety” the following:- (34) The child advocate may obtain data on adult and juvenile arrests as well as data on court proceedings such as arraignments, adjudications and dispositions, as necessary for the performance of the duties of the office. SECTION 2. Chapter 18C of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out section 6 and inserting in place thereof the following:- Section 6. The child advocate or his designee shall have access at any and all reasonable times to any facility, residence, program, or portion thereof, that is operated, licensed or funded by an executive agency, and shall have unrestricted access to all electronic information systems records, reports, materials and employees in order to better understand the needs of children in the custody of the commonwealth or who are receiving services from an executive agency. The child advocate shall have access to all court records that the child advocate deems relevant, including records held by the clerk of the juvenile court and the clerk of the probate and family court, records held by the Massachusetts Probation Service, and records on adults and juveniles …
Sponsors
- Michael Finn (D, 6th Hampden) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : Accompanied a study order, see H5281 (under House Rule 27)
- : Hearing scheduled for 06/10/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2
- : Hearing scheduled for 06/10/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2
- : Senate concurred
- : Referred to the committee on The Judiciary
- : Reported by committee to Clerk’s Office for processing, will accompany a study order
Common questions
- What is H1689?
- H1689 is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature (194th General Court): An Act clarifying the child advocate’s authority to access juvenile records.
- What is the status of H1689?
- Failed as of March 26, 2026. Latest action: Accompanied a study order, see H5281 (under House Rule 27) (March 26, 2026).
- Who sponsored H1689?
- Michael Finn (D, 6th Hampden).
- Where is the official record for H1689?
- On the Massachusetts Legislature website: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1689
Source: official Massachusetts record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.