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Bill

S 405

Homicide by Child Abuse

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Thomas Alexander and 2 co-sponsors

The SHIELD Act requires Massachusetts schools and youth‑serving orgs to adopt model abuse-prevention policies and provide regular, evidence-based mandated reporter training.

Act No. 101
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Bill Summary · S 405

Summary — S.405 (SHIELD Act): Child Sexual Abuse Prevention (Chapter 119B)

Note: the bill metadata supplied includes conflicting titles and sponsor lists. The body text filed as Senate No. 405 (presented by Sen. Joan B. Lovely) establishes the “SHIELD Act” and creates Chapter 119B, “Child Sexual Abuse Prevention.” This summary is based on the bill text as provided.

Main purpose

The SHIELD Act requires Massachusetts schools and youth‑serving organizations to adopt standardized abuse‑prevention policies and requires regular, evidence‑based training for mandated reporters and school personnel to prevent, identify, report, and respond to child sexual abuse and sexual misconduct.

Key provisions

  • Defines terms (examples): abuse, abuse prevention policy, age‑appropriate, employee, job performance, mandated reporter, minor, school, sexual misconduct, and youth‑serving organization.
  • Model abuse‑prevention policies:
    • The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), in consultation with the Office of the Child Advocate, Department of Children and Families (DCF), and Department of Early Education and Care, shall create a model abuse prevention policy for schools.
    • DCF (in consultation with the same partners) shall create a model policy for youth‑serving organizations.
    • Each school and youth‑serving organization must adopt the relevant model policy. Policies must describe employee codes of conduct, identify inappropriate behaviors between staff/teachers and minors, and detail procedures to meet obligations under section 51A (mandated reporting) of chapter 119.
    • The model policies must be reviewed at least once every five years to incorporate up‑to‑date best practices.
  • Training for school employees:
    • All mandated reporters employed by a school must receive instruction biennially (every two years) on prevention, identification, and reporting of child sexual abuse.
    • Required training topics include:
    • Recognizing and responding to behaviors that violate abuse prevention policies;
    • Recognizing and responding to sexually inappropriate or coercive behaviors between minors;
    • Distinguishing behavioral/verbal cues of sexual abuse from other abuse/neglect;
    • Supporting healthy student development and building protective factors;
    • How to respond appropriately to disclosures and meet section 51A reporting requirements; and
    • Identifying community resources for prevention, identification, reporting and referral to treatment.
    • DESE must use tested, research‑based materials and may deliver training in‑person or via e‑learning. DESE should adapt an existing evidence‑based program or create one if none is available, and maintain/update it.

Who is affected

  • Public and private schools serving minors in Massachusetts.
  • Youth‑serving organizations (except those operated directly by a school).
  • School employees who are mandated reporters.
  • Minors/students who attend those schools and programs.

Procedural status & timeline (selected actions)

  • Introduced in the Senate: February 5, 2025 (filed 1/16/2025; presented by Joan B. Lovely).
  • Referred to Education Committee (2/27/2025); reported and committed to Finance (2/11/2025).
  • Passed Senate: May 19, 2025. Delivered to Assembly and ultimately passed by the Assembly (reported/ordered to third reading and passed 6/17/2025) and returned to the Senate on 6/17/2025.
  • Committee and further referrals: reported favorably and referred to Senate Ways & Means (9/22/2025). Hearing scheduled (6/17/2025).
  • Current status listed as: RETURNED TO SENATE.

Notes and limitations

  • The provided bill text was truncated; there may be additional sections and implementation details (e.g., enforcement, funding, timelines for adoption, or exceptions) not included in the excerpt.
  • Metadata inconsistencies (title about historic home tax credits; sponsors listing federal senators) were present in the source and were not reflected in the bill text — this summary focuses solely on the SHIELD Act content in the legislative text. If you need a version incorporating the complete/updated text or clarification of sponsors/title, I can retrieve or reconcile those details.

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

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