WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

S 2177

Relates to establishing the broadband investment tax stabilization (BITS) act

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Kevin Parker

Creates a centralized Office of Unsolved Homicides and a Statewide Unsolved Homicides Task Force to reinvestigate and coordinate reviews of homicide cases unsolved for 3+ years.

REFERRED TO REAL PROPERTY TAXATION
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 2177

Note on source materials
The documents you provided contain conflicting metadata (an initial title referencing a “Broadband Investment Tax Stabilization (BITS) Act” and sponsor lists from other jurisdictions), but the bill text included is a Massachusetts proposal titled “An Act relative to unsolved homicides” (Senate No. 2177 / SD 1617). This summary focuses on the bill text and its provisions. Procedural history in the materials appears fragmented and partially duplicated.

Summary — An Act relative to unsolved homicides (Senate No. 2177)
Purpose
- Create a centralized, statewide response to homicide cases in Massachusetts that remain unsolved three or more years after the crime, with the goal of improving reviews, reinvestigation, coordination, and outcomes for cold homicide cases.

Key provisions
1. Office of Unsolved Homicides (Chapter 12, new §36)
- Establishes an Office of Unsolved Homicides within the Attorney General’s (AG) office.
- The office will coordinate with a statewide Unsolved Murders Task Force to address homicides unsolved longer than three years.

  1. Petition and case review rights for families

    • “Immediate family members” (defined: parents, in‑laws, grandparents, siblings, spouse or substantive dating partner, children/stepchildren) may petition the office in writing to request a determination whether a full reinvestigation could yield probative leads or identify a likely perpetrator.
    • The office must respond in writing within 90 days with the outcome of the review.
    • Required elements of the review include: analysis of the original investigation and missed follow‑up steps; assessment of whether witnesses should be (re)interviewed; examination of physical evidence for additional forensic testing; and updating the case file to current investigative standards.

  2. Statewide Unsolved Homicides Task Force (new Ch. 6, §184B)

    • Creates a task force co‑chaired by the AG and the President of the Massachusetts District Attorney Association.
    • Membership includes the Secretary of Public Safety, State Police Colonel, chiefs/commissioners for Boston/Worcester/Springfield, chief counsel of Committee for Public Counsel Services, all district attorneys, and three survivor‑community representatives (or their designees).
    • Task force will form multidisciplinary teams (state police detectives, municipal detectives, forensic scientists, crime analysts, victim advocates, defense attorneys) to assist county DAs.
    • Teams have access to relevant records/evidence/databases across agencies.
    • Establishes a toll‑free tip line and website (operated by AG in collaboration with state/local partners) with confidentiality/anonymity protections and information on rewards.
    • Requires quarterly meetings, training/technical assistance, and coordination of resources.
    • Annual report due by December 31 to the governor, legislative leaders, and appropriate committee chairs covering caseloads, actions taken, outcomes (arrests, indictments, convictions), barriers, and recommendations.

  3. Statewide Database of Unsolved Homicides (new Ch. 6, §184C)

    • AG’s office will maintain a centralized database of unsolved homicides including victim identifiers; date/time/location; cause/manner of death; investigative history; physical evidence/DNA profiles; suspects/persons of interest/witnesses; tips/rewards; and other relevant information.
    • AG to adopt rules/regulations governing operation and access. (Full database rules text in provided version was truncated.)

Who would be affected
- Immediate effect: Attorney General’s Office, district attorneys, state and local law enforcement (Boston, Worcester, Springfield police, state police), forensic laboratories, victim advocacy organizations, defense counsel, and surviving family members of homicide victims.
- Indirect effect: communities with older unsolved cases, criminal justice resource allocation, and potentially municipal budgets if additional local resources are required.

Procedural/timeline elements
- The bill sets a threshold of three years after a homicide for family petition eligibility.
- AG office must respond to petitions within 90 days.
- Task force must meet at least quarterly and publish annual reports by Dec. 31 each year.
- The provided materials indicate the bill was filed in January 2025 (Senate Docket No. 1617) and assigned to relevant state committees; however, the procedural history supplied is inconsistent and should be verified with the official legislative clerk for current status.

Potential impacts and considerations
- Positive: Centralized coordination and standardized reviews could increase cold case solvability, improve use of forensic advances (e.g., DNA), and give families formal recourse and transparency.
- Resource and legal considerations: Implementation likely requires staffing, IT and forensic capacity, training, interagency data‑sharing agreements, and possible appropriations (none specified). Privacy, evidentiary chain‑of‑custody, victim confidentiality, and access control to sensitive database records will require careful rulemaking.
- Accountability: Annual reporting and survivor representation aim to provide oversight and continual improvement.

If you want, I can:
- Produce a one‑page fact sheet for survivors or law enforcement.
- Extract and summarize the specific statutory text (sections and proposed insertions).
- Check the current official legislative status and committee assignments.

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

Sign in to ask a question.