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June 12, 2025

*** Legislation Alert ***

Pass the Prevention Package in Massachusetts!

Calling all child sexual abuse prevention advocates! The Joint Committee on
Education and the Joint Committee on the Judiciary have scheduled their
public hearings on child sexual abuse prevention bills at the same time,
Tuesday, June 17th at 1pm at the MA State House, in room A-2 (Education)
and B-2 (Judiciary). You can register to testify virtually or in-person, or
submit written testimony in support. These will be the only hearings on
these bills and the only chance to express your support at a hearing in
this two-year legislative session.

In order to testify virtually or in person in the JUDICIARY committee, you
must fill out the form [2]linked here by Sunday, June 15th at 5pm. Online
registration will CLOSE at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 15, 2025.

To testify virtually or in person in the Education committee, register on
the form [3]linked here. Individuals who wish to testify virtually at the
Joint Committee on Education upcoming hearing must register by completing
this form before 12:00 p.m. on Monday, June 16th, 2025. Registration will
CLOSE at 12:00 p.m. on Monday, June 16th.

Testimony is limited to two minutes per individual.

Enough Abuse will be handing out "Prevention Paddles" to those who testify
in person to express your support for the "Prevention Package!"

We also encourage you to submit written testimony if you have longer
information to share or are unable to testify in person or virtually.

To submit written testimony regarding Senate Judiciary
Committee bills, email [4][email protected].

To submit written testimony regarding House Judiciary Committee
bills, email [5][email protected].

[6]Judiciary Committee Hearing webpage (including all bills being heard).

Written testimony for the Education Committee bills should be submitted
to Fiona Bruce-Baiden at [7][email protected] and Emily
Reynolds at [8][email protected], or to
the Committee on Education at 24 Beacon Street, Room 473G, Boston, MA
02133. The Chairs request that those submitting written testimony include
“EDUCATION COMMITTEE TESTIMONY” and the bill number IN THE SUBJECT LINE,
and provide the committee with your name, organization, and phone number.

For the Education Committee hearing details, [9]click here.

Questions about how to prepare testimony?

Enough Abuse is hosting a Zoom meeting TONIGHT (Thursday) at 6pm for
advocates to provide guidance on this. [10]Click here to register.

"Prevention Package" bills being heard in Judiciary:

S.1163/H.1634 - An Act relative to sexual assaults by adults in positions
of authority or trust, Sen. Joan Lovely and Rep. Leigh Davis

Criminalizes sexual abuse by adults in positions of authority with minors
in their care, and allows for civil lawsuits against them.

H.1733 - An Act relative to the age of consent in certain criminal
prosecutions and civil actions for sexual assault and rape of a child
and H.1734 - An Act relative to preventing educator sexual misconduct and
abuse of children/youth - Rep. Ken Gordon

Criminalizes sexual abuse of students under 19 who haven't received a H.S.
diploma by school, college, youth serving organization or department
employees and allows for lawsuits against them.

H.1593/S.1174 An Act protecting minors from the creation of
computer-generated child sexual abuse visual materials - Rep. Natalie
Blais and Sen. Paul Mark

To address the exponentially growing problem of online child sexual abuse
material (CSAM), this bill would enable prosecution of people for
developing and sharing sexually explicit images of children that are
technologically edited, collaged, morphed or AI-generated, including sexual
"deepfakes" of children.

S.1166 - An Act relative to enhancing hiring practices to prevent sexual
abuse - Sen. Lovely

Requires screening of school employees through enhanced reference checks to
prevent hiring abusers

S.1165 - An Act amending the statute of limitations regarding criminal
prosecutions for the crimes of sexual assault and rape of a child - Sen.
Lovely

Eliminates the criminal Statute of Limitations (SOL)

S.1169 - An Act enhancing remedies for survivors of childhood sexual abuse
- Sen. Lovely

Eliminates the civil SOL and eliminates the $100K cap on negligence damages
for institutions in child sexual abuse cases.

H.1832 - An Act relative to preventing the sexual abuse of children and
youth, aka, The Comprehensive Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Act of 2025 -
Rep. Lawn

Requires CSAP education and policies in schools, school employee screening,
criminalizes adults in positions of authority who sexually abuse minors in
their care and prohits age of consent as a defense)

Please see the [11]"Prevention Package" bill summary for more details about
the bills being heard (the committees are listed next to the bills).

How to Testify in Both Committees:

Please note - you can register to testify for both the Judiciary and
Education Committee hearings in person or virtually, but it may not be
possible, depending on the timing. You can register for both on each of the
hearing webpages and get an estimated time when you will be called when you
check in at the hearing. It is recommended that you be in the hearing room
an hour before the estimated time in case they move ahead of schedule.
Attend the hearing you feel most called to testify for, and try to go to
both, but you may miss one if they call your name while you are in the
other room. In that case, you can submit testimony in writing for the one
you missed.

"Prevention Package" Bills being heard in the Education Committee:

H.516 "An Act establishing employee screening requirements in schools to
prevent child sexual abuse" would prevent school from hiring abusers by
requiring enhanced reference checks (companion bill to S.1166 in
Judiciary).

S.405 "An Act stopping harm inflicted by the exploitation of life and
development" would require child sexual abuse prevention education for
staff and students in schools and the adoption of a Code of Conduct to
prevent child sexual abuse

S.404 "An Act relative to supporting survivors of child sexual abuse" would
enhance opportunities for justice in CSA cases involving sports or
nonprofit institutions.

To learn more about the "Prevention Package" bills and their
history, [12]click here to visit our Citizens to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse
webpage.

Passing bills, even those that face little or no opposition, can be
daunting. By banding together, we can create a powerful megaphone to ensure
that these crucial bills become law and that children can be better
protected from sexual abuse and exploitation.

The fight continues...

Jetta Bernier, Executive Director

ENOUGH ABUSE®, formerly Massachusetts Citizens for Children, dba MassKids,
is the nation’s oldest citizen-based child advocacy organization, with a
6-decade history of improving the lives of vulnerable children. We prevent
the sexual abuse of children in their homes, communities and online through
prevention trainings, education and advocacy.

[13]Donate

Contact ENOUGH ABUSE®
[14]Facebook [15]X [16]Instagram

[17]www.enoughabuse.org - [18][email protected] - [19](617) 742-8555

References

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