An Act relative to the "Move Over Law"
Generates a plain-language summary of the bill text and history.
| Committee | Recommendation | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| J27 | Accompanied | 1 entries |
Section 2 of chapter 90 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after line 663, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, the following paragraph:- The registrar shall furnish without charge to the owner of a private passenger motor vehicle who is a parent, sibling, child, or spouse of a police officer of a police department of any city or town, the department of state police, the Massachusetts bay transportation authority police department, or police officer of a Massachusetts public higher education campus, who has been killed in the line of duty, upon presentation of satisfactory evidence to the registrar, a distinctive registration plate that reads "Blue Star Family" for 1 private passenger motor vehicle owned and principally used by that person or a distinctive "Blue Star Family" emblem to be affixed to a registration plate for a motorcycle privately owned and principally used by that person. The registrar may issue a distinctive "Blue Star Family" registration of up to 6 characters for 1 private passenger motor vehicle owned and principally used by that person. A police officer shall be determined to have been killed in the line of duty for purposes of this paragraph if the circumstance meets those which would make them eligible to be placed on the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington D.C.
Section 7C of chapter 89 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out subsection 2(c) in its entirety and inserting in place thereof:- (c) Violation of this section may be punished by a fine of $250 for a first offense, by a fine of $500 for a second offense, and by a fine of $1,000 for a third or subsequent offense; provided that any violation that results in injury to another person may be punished by a fine of $2,500 or up to one year in jail or house of correction. And further, by adding the following sections:- (d) In addition to any fines pursuant to subsection (c), an operator who commits a second or third offense shall be required to complete a program selected by the registrar of motor vehicles that encourages a change in driver behavior and attitude about the "Move Over Law". (e) A first or second offense under this section shall not be a surchargeable incident under section 113B of chapter 175 or under motor vehicle liability policy as defined in section 34A that is issued pursuant to said chapter 175; provided, however, that a third or subsequent offense shall be a surchargeable incident under said section 113B of said chapter 175 or under a motor vehicle liability policy as defined in said section 34A that is issued pursuant to said chapter 175. (f) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, upon receipt of the payment of fines issued under this section, the state comptroller shall immediately cause not less than 50% of the total to be transferred to registry of motor vehicles to be held as retained revenue, provided said revenue shall be used to defray the 100 per cent of the annual cost associated with section 1 of this act, and further, the remaining balance shall be transferred to the state treasurer to supplement costs associated with section 3 of this act.
Chapter 10 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 35PPP the following section:-
QQ. There shall be established and set up on the books of the Commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial Fund to be used without appropriation by a department of public safety for the purpose of making annual payments to the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial to memorialize and honor Massachusetts law enforcement personnel killed in the line of duty. There shall be credited to the fund revenues received by the Commonwealth from the sale of registration plates under section 2G of chapter 90.
Section 18¾ of chapter 6A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following clause:- (10) to develop and implement a statewide blue alert system to be activated when law enforcement officials are searching for an individual who is wanted in the serious injury or killing of a police officer, state trooper, or other law enforcement official.
Chapter 6A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 19A the following section:-
The executive office of public safety shall coordinate the implementation of a statewide blue alert system, pursuant to section 21 of chapter 22.
Chapter 22 of The General Laws are hereby amended by adding the following section:-
THE STATEWIDE BLUE ALERT SYSTEM
The following terms as used in this chapter shall, unless the context clearly appears otherwise, have the following meanings: “Executive office”, the executive office of public safety. "Law enforcement agency", a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the investigation of a crime resulting in the serious injury or death of a police officer, state trooper, or other law enforcement official.
SECTION 1. Section 2 of chapter 90 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after line 663, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, the following paragraph:- The registrar shall furnish without charge to the owner of a private passenger motor vehicle who is a parent, sibling, child, or spouse of a police officer of a police department of any city or town, the department of state police, the Massachusetts bay transportation authority police department, or police officer of a Massachusetts public higher education campus, who has been killed in the line of duty, upon presentation of satisfactory evidence to the registrar, a distinctive registration plate that reads "Blue Star Family" for 1 private passenger motor vehicle owned and principally used by that person or a distinctive "Blue Star Family" emblem to be affixed to a registration plate for a motorcycle privately owned and principally used by that person. The registrar may issue a distinctive "Blue Star Family" registration of up to 6 characters for 1 private passenger motor vehicle owned and principally used by that person. A police officer shall be determined to have been killed in the line of duty for purposes of this paragraph if the circumstance meets those which would make them eligible to be placed on the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington D.C. SECTION 2. Section 7C of chapter 89 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out subsection 2(c) in its entirety and inserting in place thereof:- (c) Violation of this section may be punished by a fine of $250 for a first offense, by a fine of $500 for a second offense, and by a fine of $1,000 for a third or subsequent offense; provided that any violation that results in injury to another person may be punished by a fine of $2,500 or up to one year in jail or house of correction. And further, by adding the following sections:- (d) In addition to any fines pursuant to subsection (c), an operator who commits a second or third offense shall be required to complete a program selected by the registrar of motor vehicles that encourages a change in driver behavior and attitude about the "Move Over Law". (e) A first or second offense under this section shall not be a surchargeable incident under section 113B of chapter 175 or under motor vehicle liability policy as defined in section 34A that is issued pursuant to said chapter 175; provided, however, that a third or subsequent offense shall be a surchargeable incident under said section 113B of said chapter 175 or under a motor vehicle liability policy as defined in said section 34A that is issued pursuant to said chapter 175. (f) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, upon receipt of the payment of fines issued under this section, the state comptroller shall immediately cause not less than 50% of the total to be transferred to registry of motor vehicles to be held as retained revenue, provided said revenue shall be used to defray the 100 per cent of the annual cost associated with section 1 of this act, and further, the remaining balance shall be transferred to the state treasurer to supplement costs associated with section 3 of this act. SECTION 3. Chapter 10 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 35PPP the following section:- Section 35QQQ. There shall be established and set up on the books of the Commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial Fund to be used without appropriation by a department of public safety for the purpose of making annual payments to the Massachusetts Law Enforcement Memorial to memorialize and honor Massachusetts law enforcement personnel killed in the line of duty. There shall be credited to the fund revenues received by the Commonwealth from the sale of registration plates under section 2G of chapter 90. SECTION 4. Section 18¾ of chapter 6A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following clause:- (10) to develop and implement a statewide blue alert system to be activated when law enforcement officials are searching for an individual who is wanted in the serious injury or killing of a police officer, state trooper, or other law enforcement official. SECTION 5. Chapter 6A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 19A the following section:- Section 19B. The executive office of public safety shall coordinate the implementation of a statewide blue alert system, pursuant to section 21 of chapter 22. SECTION 6. Chapter 22 of The General Laws are hereby amended by adding the following section:- Section 21. THE STATEWIDE BLUE ALERT SYSTEM Section 1. The following terms as used in this chapter shall, unless the context clearly appears otherwise, have the following meanings: “Executive office”, the executive office of public safety. "Law enforcement agency", a law enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the investigation of a crime resulting in the serious injury or death of a police officer, state trooper, or other law enforcement official.