By Mr. Oliveira, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1236) of Jacob R. Oliveira for legislation to protect survivors of spousal abuse from alimony liability. The Judiciary.
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Date
Branch
Action
5/28/2026
Senate
5/28/2026 SenateBill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means
3/30/2026
Senate
3/30/2026 SenateReporting date extended to Tuesday June 30, 2026
2/26/2026
Senate
2/26/2026 SenateReporting date extended to Thursday April 2, 2026
2/12/2026
Senate
2/12/2026 SenateReporting date extended to Monday March 2, 2026
10/14/2025
Joint
10/14/2025 JointHearing scheduled for 04/22/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2
4/18/2025
Joint
4/18/2025 JointHearing scheduled for 04/22/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2
2/27/2025
House
2/27/2025 HouseHouse concurred
2/27/2025
Senate
2/27/2025 SenateReferred to the committee on The Judiciary
An Act to protect survivors of spousal abuse from alimony liability
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24 section(s) · formatted for easier reading
▸SECTION 1
The following words as used in this section shall, unless the context otherwise requires, have the following meanings:
“Abuse”, as defined in section 1 of chapter 209A including but not limited to attempting to cause or causing physical harm, placing a spouse in fear of imminent serious physical harm, and causing a spouse to engage involuntarily in sexual relations by force, threat or duress.,
“Abusive Spouse”, a spouse with a conviction of abuse including attempts to and cause physical harm including causing a spouse to engage involuntarily in sexual relations by force, threat or duress., and in violation of section 7 of chapter 209 and sections 34C and 34D of chapter 208
“Alimony”, the payment of support from a spouse, who has the ability to pay, to a spouse in need of support for a reasonable length of time, under a court order unless the spouse has a conviction of abuse.
▸SECTION 2
Chapter 208 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding at the end the sixth paragraph of Section 1B the following:- “The court shall decline alimony because of a spouse’s conviction of abuse including attempts at causing physical harm and serious physical harm as a reason to decline alimony”.
▸SECTION 17
of chapter 208 is hereby amended by adding at the end of the first paragraph:- “The court shall decline alimony to a spouse with a conviction of abuse.”
▸SECTION 31A
of said chapter 208 is hereby amended by adding at the end of the 3rd paragraph, the following:- “Provided further, that the underlying facts are evidence by the court to deny alimony to a spouse with a conviction of abuse”.
▸SECTION 34
of said chapter is hereby amended at the end of the section by adding the following words:- “The court shall decline alimony to a spouse with a conviction of abuse”.
▸SECTION 34A
of chapter 208 is hereby amended by adding after the second paragraph, the following words:- “A court shall consider a spouse’s conviction of abuse including attempts at causing physical harm and serious physical harm and causing a spouse to engage involuntarily in sexual relations by force, threat or duress as a reason to decline alimony”.
▸SECTION 35
of said chapter 208 is hereby amended by adding at the end of the paragraph the following words:- “; provided, however, that a court shall deny alimony to a spouse if they have a conviction of abuse”.
▸SECTION 3
of chapter 209A is hereby amended by adding at the end the following subsection:- “(j) The court shall deny any future petition for alimony to the spouse with a conviction of abuse”.
▸SECTION 3B
of said chapter is hereby amended by adding at the end of the last paragraph the following words:- “The court shall deny any future petition for alimony to the spouse with a conviction of abuse”.
▸SECTION 7
of said chapter is further amended by adding at the end the following words:- “The court shall deny any future petition for alimony to the spouse with a conviction of abuse”.
▸SECTION 3
Section 36A of chapter 208 is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:- “(8) A spouse who has previously paid alimony to a spouse with a conviction of abuse is permitted to file a petition with the court to terminate alimony. The court may reconsider previous alimony contracts and in the case of domestic conviction by a spouse, terminate the alimony and contract”.
▸SECTION 37
of said chapter 208 is hereby amended by adding the fourth paragraph:- “if there is a conviction of abuse, the court shall terminate alimony to the spouse”.
▸SECTION 4
Section 49 of chapter 208 is hereby amended by adding the following subsection (i):- “General term alimony to an abusive spouse shall terminate if the spouse has a conviction of abuse”.
▸SECTION 50
of said chapter is further amended by adding the following subsection:- (d) “Rehabilitative alimony to an abusive spouse shall terminate if the spouse has a conviction of abuse”.
▸SECTION 51
of said chapter is further amended by adding subsection:- (d) “Reimbursement alimony shall terminate if an abusive spouse has a conviction of abuse”
▸SECTION 52
of said chapter is further amended by adding at the end of subsection (b) the following words:- “; provided, however, that the court shall terminate transitional alimony if a spouse is convicted of abuse”
▸SECTION 53
of chapter 208 is hereby amended by adding at the end of subsection (a) the following words:- “The court shall deny alimony to a spouse with a conviction of abuse”
▸SECTION 54
of said chapter is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:- “(c) The court shall terminate alimony to a spouse with a conviction of abuse”.
▸SECTION 55
is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:- “(d) The court shall terminate alimony to a spouse with a conviction of abuse”.
▸SECTION 5
Section 40 of section 209A of the General Laws is hereby repealed.
▸SECTION 3
of chapter 209A is hereby amended by striking out the following words: “shall not in and of itself constitute a pattern or serious incident of abuse; nor shall an order or orders entered ex parte under said chapter 209A be admissible to show whether a pattern or serious incident of abuse has in fact occurred”.
▸SECTION 31A
of chapter 208 is hereby amended by striking out the following words:- “shall not in and of itself constitute a pattern or serious incident of abuse; nor shall an order or orders entered ex parte under said chapter 209A be admissible to show whether a pattern or serious incident of abuse has in fact occurred”.
▸SECTION 7
of chapter 209A and sections 17 and 34 of chapter 208 are hereby amended by striking out the word “him”, each time it appears, and inserting in place thereof the word:- “party”.
▸SECTION 6
Nothing in this act shall be construed to affect the right of the parties to a hearing under the rules of domestic relations procedure or to affect the discretion of the probate and family court in the conduct of such hearings. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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SECTION 1. The following words as used in this section shall, unless the context otherwise requires, have the following meanings:
“Abuse”, as defined in section 1 of chapter 209A including but not limited to attempting to cause or causing physical harm, placing a spouse in fear of imminent serious physical harm, and causing a spouse to engage involuntarily in sexual relations by force, threat or duress.,
“Abusive Spouse”, a spouse with a conviction of abuse including attempts to and cause physical harm including causing a spouse to engage involuntarily in sexual relations by force, threat or duress., and in violation of section 7 of chapter 209 and sections 34C and 34D of chapter 208
“Alimony”, the payment of support from a spouse, who has the ability to pay, to a spouse in need of support for a reasonable length of time, under a court order unless the spouse has a conviction of abuse.
SECTION 2. Chapter 208 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding at the end the sixth paragraph of Section 1B the following:- “The court shall decline alimony because of a spouse’s conviction of abuse including attempts at causing physical harm and serious physical harm as a reason to decline alimony”.
Section 17 of chapter 208 is hereby amended by adding at the end of the first paragraph:- “The court shall decline alimony to a spouse with a conviction of abuse.”
Section 31A of said chapter 208 is hereby amended by adding at the end of the 3rd paragraph, the following:- “Provided further, that the underlying facts are evidence by the court to deny alimony to a spouse with a conviction of abuse”.
Section 34 of said chapter is hereby amended at the end of the section by adding the following words:- “The court shall decline alimony to a spouse with a conviction of abuse”.
Section 34A of chapter 208 is hereby amended by adding after the second paragraph, the following words:- “A court shall consider a spouse’s conviction of abuse including attempts at causing physical harm and serious physical harm and causing a spouse to engage involuntarily in sexual relations by force, threat or duress as a reason to decline alimony”.
Section 35 of said chapter 208 is hereby amended by adding at the end of the paragraph the following words:- “; provided, however, that a court shall deny alimony to a spouse if they have a conviction of abuse”.
Section 3 of chapter 209A is hereby amended by adding at the end the following subsection:- “(j) The court shall deny any future petition for alimony to the spouse with a conviction of abuse”.
Section 3B of said chapter is hereby amended by adding at the end of the last paragraph the following words:- “The court shall deny any future petition for alimony to the spouse with a conviction of abuse”.
Section 7 of said chapter is further amended by adding at the end the following words:- “The court shall deny any future petition for alimony to the spouse with a conviction of abuse”.
SECTION 3. Section 36A of chapter 208 is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:- “(8) A spouse who has previously paid alimony to a spouse with a conviction of abuse is permitted to file a petition with the court to terminate alimony. The court may reconsider previous alimony contracts and in the case of domestic conviction by a spouse, terminate the alimony and contract”.
Section 37 of said chapter 208 is hereby amended by adding the fourth paragraph:- “if there is a conviction of abuse, the court shall terminate alimony to the spouse”.
SECTION 4. Section 49 of chapter 208 is hereby amended by adding the following subsection (i):- “General term alimony to an abusive spouse shall terminate if the spouse has a conviction of abuse”.
Section 50 of said chapter is further amended by adding the following subsection:- (d) “Rehabilitative alimony to an abusive spouse shall terminate if the spouse has a conviction of abuse”.
Section 51 of said chapter is further amended by adding subsection:- (d) “Reimbursement alimony shall terminate if an abusive spouse has a conviction of abuse”
Section 52 of said chapter is further amended by adding at the end of subsection (b) the following words:- “; provided, however, that the court shall terminate transitional alimony if a spouse is convicted of abuse”
Section 53 of chapter 208 is hereby amended by adding at the end of subsection (a) the following words:- “The court shall deny alimony to a spouse with a conviction of abuse”
Section 54 of said chapter is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:- “(c) The court shall terminate alimony to a spouse with a conviction of abuse”.
Section 55 is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:- “(d) The court shall terminate alimony to a spouse with a conviction of abuse”.
SECTION 5. Section 40 of section 209A of the General Laws is hereby repealed.
Section 3 of chapter 209A is hereby amended by striking out the following words: “shall not in and of itself constitute a pattern or serious incident of abuse; nor shall an order or orders entered ex parte under said chapter 209A be admissible to show whether a pattern or serious incident of abuse has in fact occurred”.
Section 31A of chapter 208 is hereby amended by striking out the following words:- “shall not in and of itself constitute a pattern or serious incident of abuse; nor shall an order or orders entered ex parte under said chapter 209A be admissible to show whether a pattern or serious incident of abuse has in fact occurred”.
Section 7 of chapter 209A and sections 17 and 34 of chapter 208 are hereby amended by striking out the word “him”, each time it appears, and inserting in place thereof the word:- “party”.
SECTION 6. Nothing in this act shall be construed to affect the right of the parties to a hearing under the rules of domestic relations procedure or to affect the discretion of the probate and family court in the conduct of such hearings. This act shall take effect upon passage.