An Act relative to the reckless evasion of a police officer

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Bill Galvin

Adds a crime for fleeing or eluding police in a motor vehicle with willful or wanton disregard, carrying fines, jail time, and a 60-day license suspension.

Overview

Purpose: Establish bolstered penalties for individuals who flee or attempt to elude a police officer while operating a motor vehicle, when done willfully or with wanton disregard for safety. The goal is to deter reckless evasion that endangers officers and the public.

Leading sponsor: Representative William C. Galvin (Canton).

Legislative status: Proposed bill filed in 2025. The provided materials show the bill as a new measure proposing changes to Chapter 90, with a history of a similar matter previously filed in 2023-2024. Status updates (e.g., committee action, passage) are not included in the provided text.

Key Provisions

New Section added: Subsection 25A to Chapter 90 of the General Laws (as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition).

Offense covered: Any person who flees or attempts to elude a police officer while operating a motor vehicle, and does so willfully or with wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.

Penalties:

Fine: Not less than $100 and not more than $1,000.
Imprisonment: Not less than 6 months and not more than 2 years.
Both fine and imprisonment are possible.

License consequence: A conviction under this section results in a 60-day driver's license suspension by the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

Definitional scope of "willful or wanton disregard": Includes, but is not limited to, driving while fleeing or eluding a pursuing officer that results in:

Property damage, and/or
Three or more moving violations.

Scope and Impact

Who is affected: Individuals who flee from or attempt to elude police in motor vehicles, as well as law enforcement and road users who are endangered by such evasion.

Legal impact: Creates a new criminal offense with specified penalties and a mandatory temporary license suspension if convicted. It works in addition to, and not as a replacement for, existing laws governing evading police or reckless driving.

Potential policy effect: Signals a strong public safety stance against evasion tactics that endanger others; may influence enforcement practices and prosecutorial charging decisions.

Procedural and Timeline Notes

Filed date and docket: Filed January 13, 2025; House Docket No. 728; presented as House No. 1707 in the filing records.

Historical context: A related measure was previously filed in the 2023-2024 session (House No. 1503).

Effective date: The text does not specify an effective date; typically, enactment would follow passage and signing into law.

Status: As provided, status is not specified beyond the filing and description as a proposed bill.

Comparison and Context

The bill aligns with a broader legislative trend of increasing penalties for dangerous pursuit activities that endanger the public, by adding a distinct offense with clear monetary, custodial, and license-related consequences.

The inclusion of explicit examples under “willful or wanton disregard” helps clarify what conduct triggers the offense, though the language remains broad to cover various evasion scenarios.

Bill