Mar 19, 2021

MA IBPO Legislative Update

As the new legislative session begins to move into high gear, and police departments continue to grapple with the implementation and consequences of the police reform law, it becomes clearer that the policing profession is poised for some substantial changes in the months and years ahead. I begin by thanking you for what you do each day and your continued commitment to our communities in the face of ever-increasing challenges to the police profession.
 
The IBPO has filed and supported a number of legislative initiatives for the 21-22 legislative session, designed to support our police officers and their families. We encourage you to reach out to your State Representative and State Senator today and ask them to support the following bills by signing on as a co-sponsor:
 

• House Docket 876 – An Act relative to public employees performing core functions – This bill, field by Rep. Tackey Chan, would give public employees who have worked on the front lines of the pandemic hazard pay in the form of comp time or premium pay for the hours worked since the beginning of the state emergency.
• House Docket 1794 - An Act Providing a Retirement credit to essential public sector workers – This legislation, filed by Rep. Jon Zlotnik, would provide a 3-year retirement credit for public employees who worked on the front lines of the pandemic.
• House Docket 1834/Senate Docket 1451 - Act relative to police officers and firefighters relative to Chapter 41, Section 111F – This bill, filed by Rep. Angelo Pupolo and Senator John Velis, would make police officers whole if they are denied injured on duty pay but are subsequently approved for a disability pension, back to the original date of injury.
• HD 2626 - An Act relative to Disability of Death caused by Contagious Diseases; Presumption – This bill, filed by Rep. Denise Garlick, would establish a presumption for contagious disease contracted in the performance of an officer’s duty.
• HD 2923 – An Act relative to Due Process – This bill, filed by Rep. John Lawn, would grant a de novo review for any suspension longer than 2 weeks, or decertification by the new Commission, thus restoring a key element of due process rights for police officers.
• HD 2877 - An Act relative to Body Worn Cameras – This bill, filed by rep. Alan Silvia, would allow officers to review body cam footage before releasing a statement on an incident.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions on the legislation listed above. While this is not an exhaustive list of the bills we will be tracking, it provides information on some if the key initiatives that we will be advocating for. Your advocacy has never been more important, and as I’ve said before, it has never been more important for us to strengthen our collective voice and continue speaking truth to power.

In solidarity,
 
David Bernard
Public Safety Director