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S 1720

Establishes an awareness campaign on the use of hormone replacement therapy in treating the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Pete Harckham and 2 co-sponsors

Expands and standardizes in-person visiting rights for incarcerated people, mandating frequent, sizeable visits, non-discriminatory access, child-friendly spaces, and clear complai

VETOED MEMO.47
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 1720

Summary — S.1720 (An Act to build restorative family and community connection)

Note: The bill title provided separately (about an HRT awareness campaign) appears inconsistent with the full bill text below. The text of S.1720 filed in the Massachusetts Senate (No. 1720) amends visitation rules for state prisons and county correctional facilities. This summary reflects the visitation/“restorative family and community connection” bill text provided.

Purpose

To expand, standardize, and protect in-person visitation rights for incarcerated people in Massachusetts state prisons and county correctional facilities, with the stated goal of strengthening family and community connections and supporting restorative outcomes.

Key provisions

  • Replaces existing Section 36C (chapter 127) with new, detailed visitation requirements and protections.
  • Mandatory visitation frequency and duration:
    • At least two visiting periods per day, with at least one visiting period of at least four hours.
    • At least one eight-hour visiting period each weekend.
    • At least one four-hour visiting period on every state and federal holiday.
    • “Visiting period” counts time spent with visitors (not processing time).
    • Visitation shall not be decreased below levels offered on January 1, 2025.
  • Capacity and reporting:
    • Facilities may not limit visiting area capacity below building/occupancy code requirements.
    • If capacity prevents meeting required visiting periods, the reduction must be documented in writing and publicly reported (personally identifying information redacted).
    • Facilities must exhaust all options to increase visitation capacity.
  • Visitor eligibility and approval:
    • No limit on number of individuals eligible to visit an incarcerated person.
    • Pre-approval systems may be required but must be limited to state-issued ID/passport data, allow visitor list updates with a 7-calendar-day response, exempt first-time visitors traveling >75 miles, and honor pre-approvals if a person is transferred between facilities.
  • Protections against exclusion:
    • Visitors cannot be excluded solely for prior criminal convictions, status as formerly incarcerated, parole/probation, volunteer history, or community participation.
    • Exclusions/barrings require reasonable individualized suspicion, a written statement of objective reasoning and evidence, an expiration date, and appeal/review rights. Decisions may be challenged under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 249 § 4.
  • Family/child accommodations:
    • Incarcerated people may hold, play with, and instruct children under 18.
    • Facilities must provide a designated visiting area for children with games and educational activities.
    • Children may bring homework (subject to search) to work on during visits.
  • Complaint process:
    • A visitor complaint procedure for staff conduct during/related to visits, appealable to the Commissioner of Correction and sheriffs.

Note: the provided bill text is truncated after subsection (i); additional provisions may exist beyond the excerpt shown.

Who is affected

  • Incarcerated people in Massachusetts state prisons and county correctional facilities.
  • Family members, friends, and other visitors — including formerly incarcerated persons and volunteers.
  • Correctional facility administrators, staff, and the Commissioner of Correction.
  • County sheriffs and agencies responsible for implementing visitation policies.

Implementation, enforcement, and legal recourse

  • The Commissioner of Correction and facility administrators must create and implement policies consistent with the statute.
  • Written justifications and appeal mechanisms are required for exclusions; challenges may be brought under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 249 § 4.
  • Facilities must publicly report capacity constraints (with redactions).

Legislative status & timeline (from provided actions)

  • Filed (Senate Docket No. 985): 1/15/2025.
  • Passed Senate: 1/21/2025.
  • Referred to committees (Public Safety & Homeland Security; Health; Women’s Issues) and later to Finance.
  • Passed House/Assembly and returned to Senate: 6/4/2025.
  • Delivered to Governor: 10/9/2025.
  • Vetoed by Governor (VETOED MEMO.47): 10/16/2025.
  • Next possible steps: legislature may consider overriding the veto, amending the bill, or taking other action.

Observations / Notes

  • The bill mandates substantially expanded visiting hours and procedural protections that may require facility staffing, scheduling, and physical-capacity changes. The text does not include explicit funding or appropriation language in the excerpt provided.
  • The sponsor list in the provided metadata contains names that appear inconsistent between state and federal offices; primary state sponsors include Senator Liz Miranda and others listed in the petition. The textual content and legislative actions correspond to a Massachusetts state bill.

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

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