Massachusetts H 4637: An Act exempting Hancock Schools

Bill Text

HOUSE . . . . . . . . No. 4637

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, October 23, 2025.
The committee on the Judiciary, to whom were referred the petition
(accompanied by bill, House, No. 1688) of Michael J. Finn relative to
penalties for unauthorized use of unmanned aerial vehicles; and the
petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1978) of Lindsay N. Sabadosa
and Patricia A. Duffy relative to the responsible use of certain advanced
robotic technologies, reports recommending that the accompanying bill
(House, No. 4637) ought to be pass.

For the committee,

MICHAEL S. DAY.

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FILED ON: 10/12/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 4637

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act relative to civil rights and technology.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:

1 SECTION 1. Chapter 140 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition,
2 is hereby amended by inserting after section 131Y the following section:-
3 Section 131Z.
4 (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following meanings unless
5 the context clearly requires otherwise:
6 “Robotic device,” a device capable of locomotion, navigation, movement or flight that
7 operates at a distance from its operator or supervisor based on commands or in response to
8 sensor data, or a combination of both, including but not limited to an uncrewed aerial vehicle.
9 “Weapon”, any device designed to threaten or cause death, incapacitation or physical
10 injury to a person, including but not limited to firearms, chemical agents or irritants, kinetic
11 impact projectiles, weaponized lasers and explosive devices.

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12 (b) It shall be unlawful for any person, whether or not acting under color of law, to
13 manufacture, modify, sell, transfer, possess or operate a robotic device equipped or mounted
14 with a weapon. Whoever knowingly violates the provisions of this subsection shall be punished
15 by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than 2½ years nor more than 5 years, or in a
16 house of correction for not less than 18 months nor more than 2 ½ years. The sentence imposed
17 shall not be reduced to less than 18 months, nor suspended, nor shall any person convicted under
18 this subsection be eligible for probation, parole, work release, or furlough or receive any
19 deduction from their sentence for good conduct until they shall have served 18 months of such
20 sentence; provided, however, that the commissioner of correction may on the recommendation of
21 the warden, superintendent, or other person in charge of a correctional institution, grant to an
22 offender committed under this subsection a temporary release in the custody of an officer of such
23 institution for the following purposes only: to attend the funeral of a relative; to visit a critically
24 ill relative; or to obtain emergency medical or psychiatric service unavailable at said institution.
25 Prosecutions commenced under this subsection shall neither be continued without a finding nor
26 placed on file. Whoever, after having been convicted of any of the offenses set forth in this
27 subsection, commits a second or subsequent offense set forth in this subsection, shall be
28 punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than 5 years nor more than 7 years; for
29 a third such offense, by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than 7 years nor more than
30 10 years; and for a fourth such offense, by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than 10
31 years nor more than 15 years. The sentence imposed upon a person, who after a conviction of an
32 offense under this subsection commits a second or subsequent offense under this subsection,
33 shall not be suspended, nor shall any person so sentenced be eligible for probation or receive any
34 deduction from his sentence for good conduct.

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35 (c) It shall be unlawful for any person, whether or not acting under color of law, to use a
36 robotic device to: (A) threaten to commit a crime in violation of section 2 of chapter 275; (B)
37 criminally harass another person in violation of section 43A of chapter 265; or (C) physically
38 restrain or to attempt to physically restrain another person. Whoever knowingly violates the
39 provisions of this subsection shall be punished by imprisonment in a house of correction for not
40 more than 2½ years, by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by both such fine and imprisonment.
41 Whoever, after having been convicted of any of the offenses set forth in this subsection, commits
42 a second or subsequent offense set forth in this subsection, shall be punished by imprisonment in
43 a house of correction for not more than 2½ years or in a state prison for not more than 10 years,
44 by a