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S 1072

An Act relative to the head injury treatment services trust fund

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Bill Driscoll and 3 co-sponsors

The bill redirects portions of motor-vehicle fines and assessments to the HITS Trust Fund to fund head injury treatment and services.

Accompanied a study order (under JR10), see S2886
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Bill Summary · S 1072

Summary — S.1072: "An Act relative to the Head Injury Treatment Services Trust Fund" (Massachusetts)

Status & procedural note
- Bill introduced in the Massachusetts Senate as Docket No. 2507 (filed 1/17/2025). Petitioners/sponsors: Sen. William J. Driscoll, Jr. (primary petitioner) with Representatives Dylan A. Fernandes, Paul R. Feeney and Marcus S. Vaughn listed on the filing. Referred to The Judiciary.
- Hearing scheduled: 09/23/2025, 1:00 PM–5:00 PM (location A-2) per the provided schedule.
- Documents in the record include unrelated materials from other jurisdictions (Idaho, federal) — this summary focuses on the Massachusetts bill text concerning the Head Injury Treatment Services (HITS) Trust Fund.

Purpose
- Redirect and increase portions of specified motor-vehicle-related fines and assessments to the Massachusetts Head Injury Treatment Services (HITS) Trust Fund to provide funding for treatment and services for persons with head injuries.

Key provisions (major changes)
1. Chapter 90 / Texting-while-driving fines
- Amends Section 13B(b) of Chapter 90 to require that $50 of each fine collected under that section be deposited into the HITS Trust Fund.

  1. Increased/redirected assessments for impaired driving and related offenses

    • Amends Section 24(1)(a)(1) of Chapter 90 to set a $250 assessment against a person convicted (or otherwise adjudicated) of operating under the influence (OUI). The bill directs that 100% of the amount collected under this assessment be deposited monthly into the HITS Trust Fund.
    • Multiple paragraphs of Section 24(1)(a)(1) are further amended to direct that 75% of certain fines collected under that section be deposited monthly into the HITS Trust Fund. (The bill repeats this 75% directive across several enumerated paragraphs of that section.)

  2. Other fine adjustments

    • Amends Section 20 of Chapter 90 by increasing amounts previously set at $50 to higher amounts (in some places changed to $100, in others to $75 — see bill text for exact placements), thereby increasing the fines/fees that contribute to the fund where specified.

  3. Technical amendment

    • Section 1 amends Section 59 of Chapter 10 to add a reference to Section 13B (to align statutory cross‑references regarding disposition of certain fines).

Who is affected
- Persons convicted (or given continuance without a finding) of: texting while driving (Section 13B violations), OUI/DUI and related motor vehicle offenses for which the referenced assessments/fines apply.
- Courts and the State Treasurer: courts are directed to deposit specified portions of collected fines monthly with the State Treasurer, who must deposit them into the HITS Trust Fund.
- Recipients of HITS-funded services: the trust fund would receive increased revenues intended to support head injury treatment services.

Fiscal and policy impact
- The bill redirects significant portions (75% or 100% in many instances) of certain fines and increases specific assessments, which would increase monthly deposits to the HITS Trust Fund. The bill text does not include an explicit revenue estimate or appropriation schedule; actual fiscal impact would depend on enforcement and conviction rates for the covered offenses.

Notes & cautions
- The public record provided includes unrelated legislative texts (Idaho license-plate provisions and other docket metadata). This summary is limited to the Massachusetts provisions that explicitly direct fine revenue to the HITS Trust Fund. For precise statutory placement and exact paragraphs affected, consult the bill text and the referenced sections of Chapter 90 of the Massachusetts General Laws.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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