Bill
HD 1672
Massachusetts creates a statewide, minimum-standard policy for missing-child investigations, with multilingual intake, mandatory officer training, and phased agency adoption by 2027.
Purpose and intent
- Establish a statewide framework to standardize investigations involving missing and abducted children in Massachusetts.
- Create comprehensive minimum standards for law enforcement agencies, aligning local practices with evidence-based guidance and ensuring inclusivity for various categories of missing children.
Key provisions
- New guidance: The Executive Office of Public Safety and Security (EOPSS) must develop a guide titled “Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children investigations.” This guide will establish minimum statewide standards for agency practices and officer training.
- Reference framework: Agencies should reference the guide and implement its policies, drawing on guidance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), while allowing for broader applicability.
- Inclusivity: Policies must address different categories of missing children, including:
- Children under 10 years old
- Children under 17 years old
- Children with mental and physical limitations
- Dependent adults with mental and physical limitations
- Training requirements (Municipal Police Training Committee):
- In 2025, require a mandatory 2-hour in-service training for veteran officers on the Massachusetts policy and procedures for missing and abducted children investigations.
- Require training on the Massachusetts policy for new officers at the police academy.
- Training must be conducted at least once every three years in each local police department.
- Clearinghouse and intake forms:
- The EOPSS must ensure internal policies and the missing child clearinghouse intake form reflect the Massachusetts policy.
- The intake form must be available in multiple languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Russian, German, Albanian, and Khmer (Cambodian).
- Alignment with existing processes: Policies should be integrated with agency procedures and training to ensure consistent application across the state.
Timeline and implementation
- Effective date: Section 2 specifies the new section takes effect January 15, 2026.
- Adoption deadline: By January 15, 2027, all law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts must adopt the Massachusetts policy and procedures as the minimum protocol for investigations of missing children.
- Legislative placement: Adds a new Section 10 to Chapter 22A; envisions ongoing coordination among EOPSS, the Municipal Police Training Committee, and local agencies.
Who is affected
- State and local law enforcement agencies across Massachusetts
- Municipal police departments and officers (both veteran and new recruits)
- EOPSS (lead agency for policy development and implementation)
- The Missing Child Clearinghouse and associated intake processes
- Families and communities, particularly non-English-speaking residents, who seek timely and standardized missing-child responses
Overall impact
- Aims to standardize, professionalize, and multilingualize missing-child investigations.
- Seeks to improve training, cross-agency consistency, and accessibility of reporting tools for diverse populations.
- Establishes a clear multi-year deadline for statewide adoption of the new policy as the minimum investigative protocol.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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