An Act to designate regional lockup part of jail in Dukes County

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Thomas Moakley

The bill designates Dukes County regional lockup as part of the Dukes County Jail for legal and administrative purposes.

Reported, referred to the committee on Joint Rules, reported, rules suspended and referred to the committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security

Summary of Bill HD 6250 (Session 194th) – Massachusetts

Purpose and intent

The bill, filed by Representative Thomas W. Moakley, seeks to designate the regional lockup in Dukes County as part of the Dukes County Jail and Corrections system.

Specifically, it would amend the regional lockup’s status to be considered an integral part of the county jail for purposes of the General Laws.

Key provisions

Amendments to statute: The bill adds a sentence to Section 16 of Chapter 126 of the General Laws.

New language: “The regional lockup, operated by the sheriff of the county of Dukes, shall be considered part of the jail.”

This formalizes the regional lockup’s status within the Dukes County Jail system, aligning governance and organizational structure.

Who is affected

Primary: The regional lockup facility in Dukes County and the office of the Dukes County Sheriff responsible for operating it.

Secondary: Staff, inmates or detainees, and administrative operations tied to the Dukes County Jail and Corrections system, since the regional lockup would be treated as part of the jail for legal and administrative purposes.

Procedural and timeline aspects

Filing and sponsorship: Introduced by Representative Moakley; co-sponsor listed (Thomas Moakley appears as sponsor and co-sponsor in the record).

Referral: As of the latest action, the bill has been referred to the Committee on House Rules (dated 2026-07-06).

Status: No final passage information provided in the record; action is at committee referral stage.

Timeline next steps (typical for similar measures): If reported favorably by the committee, the bill would move to the full House (and then Senate counterpart if applicable) for consideration, potential amendments, and votes, followed by reconciliation with any Senate version and passage to the governor for signing.

Additional context

The change is focused on administrative and legal classification within state law, with no explicit changes to funding, staffing levels, or programmatic operations beyond recognizing the regional lockup as part of the Dukes County Jail.

The measure relies on updating the statutory language to reflect this designation, which could streamline governance, reporting, and compliance processes for the regional facility.

If you’d like, I can compare this bill’s language to existing sections of Chapter 126 to illustrate exactly how the designation alters current definitions and responsibilities.