Provides for comparable salary and other benefits for certain state employees

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Cordell Cleare and 1 co-sponsor

Provides standardized guidelines for district attorneys to disclose prior abuse information to protect survivors, balancing safety with due process.

REFERRED TO CIVIL SERVICE AND PENSIONS

Summary — S.1750 (Senate No. 1750)

Title: An Act relative to disclosures and the prevention of domestic violence
Introduced: 01/12/2025 (filed); Presented by: Patrick M. O’Connor
Current referral/status: Referred to Civil Service and Pensions (per docket); also shows referral/hearing activity with Public Safety and Homeland Security committee.

Purpose / Intent

The bill directs the Massachusetts Attorney General, in coordination with the Secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, to create statewide guidelines for district attorneys governing when and how survivors or potential victims may request and obtain disclosures about prior reports or instances of abuse committed by an intimate partner, ex‑partner, or household member. The intent is to improve access to relevant information that may help protect people from domestic violence.

Key provisions

Adds a new Section 97D1/2 to Chapter 41 of the General Laws.

Requires the Attorney General, working with the Secretary of Public Safety and Security, to develop and promulgate guidelines to all district attorneys by no later than July 1, 2026.

Guidelines must:

Describe streamlined and simplified procedures for a person to request a disclosure about prior reports/instances of abuse (as defined in G.L. c. 209A, §1).
Establish standards of review for such requests, including determinations that:
The disclosure is necessary to protect the requester from being a victim of a crime;
There is a pressing need for the disclosure; and
Any interference with the subject’s rights is necessary and proportionate to prevent crime.

Authorizes district attorneys to lawfully disclose information about violent or abusive behavior that may threaten the safety of a current or former partner; such information may derive from criminal investigations, agency involvement, or other police intelligence.

Who is affected

Primary beneficiaries: survivors, current/ex‑partners or household members seeking safety‑related information.

Implementers: district attorneys’ offices and the Attorney General’s Office; law enforcement and agencies that hold relevant records.

Subjects of requested disclosures: persons alleged to have perpetrated abuse (whose privacy and legal rights may be implicated).

Potential impacts and considerations

Could increase victims’ access to relevant evidence of prior abusive behavior, aiding safety planning and prosecution decisions.

Requires DAs to adopt standardized procedures balancing victim safety with privacy and due‑process protections for alleged perpetrators.

May create administrative burdens for prosecution offices and law enforcement to collect, review, and disclose information under the new standards.

The statutory language permits disclosure from varied sources (investigations, agency records, police intelligence), which raises questions about verification standards and confidentiality protections under other laws.

Note: The provided docket and sponsor information contain inconsistencies (e.g., a different bill title appearing elsewhere and multiple committee referrals). The summary above is based on the bill text as filed (An Act relative to disclosures and the prevention of domestic violence).

Bill