# Massachusetts H 5620: An Act promoting rule of law, oversight, trust and equal constitutional treatment Massachusetts H 5620, An Act promoting rule of law, oversight, trust and equal constitutional treatment, is a 194th General Court (2025-2026) House bill sponsored by Protect Act; status signed, last action 2026-08-05 (Signed by the Governor, Chapter 163 of the Acts of 2026) (as of 2026-11-01). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5620-194 - As of: 2026-11-01 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Massachusetts H 5620 - State: Massachusetts - Session: 194th General Court (2025-2026) - Title: An Act promoting rule of law, oversight, trust and equal constitutional treatment - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-07-29 - Last action: 2026-08-05, Signed by the Governor, Chapter 163 of the Acts of 2026 - Sponsor: Protect Act - Cosponsors: 95 - Subjects: House Steering, Policy and Scheduling - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 3 (423 yes, 42 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 12 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Faster help for U and T visas: benefit, medium. Certifying agencies must have a written policy with no fees, a named official, and an internal review process. They must answer U‑ or T‑visa certification requests within 45 days. If you have an immigration hearing or removal case within 45 days—or a derivative T‑visa child may age out—the response… - Health sites limit civil arrests: benefit, medium. Hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, EMS, and other covered providers must mark nonpublic care areas and follow set procedures with civil law enforcement. Civil arrests in nonpublic areas are banned without a judicial warrant, except where law or funded programs require it. Providers licensed or fund… - Schools restrict civil immigration arrests: benefit, medium. Police cannot make civil arrests on school grounds without a judicial warrant or order, except where law or funded programs require it. The education department publishes model guidance and training, and every school must have a written emergency response plan based on those models. If you believe… - Audits of ICE contracts and detention: benefit, medium. The State Auditor can audit sheriffs with ICE intergovernmental service agreements and privately run immigration detention sites that use public resources. Auditors get access to needed records, and audits follow government standards. A public report is due by January 1, 2027. - Limits on local immigration enforcement: benefit, medium. State and local agencies do not use their resources for federal civil immigration enforcement unless a law or court requires it. Officers do not ask about immigration status unless it is directly tied to a criminal element and they document the reason. Most new 287(g) agreements are not allowed. Th… - Courthouse civil arrests tightly limited: benefit, low. Officers cannot make civil arrests inside courtrooms. At courthouses, they can arrest only when acting officially and after giving a judge paperwork that shows a judicial warrant or order; the judge must review it quickly. An arrest that violates these courthouse rules counts as false imprisonment… - Guardianship rules for immigration actions: benefit, low. The law treats an “adverse immigration action” like death or legal incapacity for appointing a child’s guardian. Adverse immigration action includes DHS detention, removal or voluntary departure, and denial of admission. If both parents are unavailable for these reasons, the last parent to face one… - Stronger access to lawyers in detention: benefit, low. Detention facilities must give intake notices in your primary language. You get confidential, unmonitored phone talks with your lawyer, with at least one confidential inbound call per day or a callback within 24 hours. Facilities must offer free, regular video meetings with counsel. They must updat… - Worker protections in immigration checks: benefit, low. Your employer must give every employee written notice within 48 hours after getting an ICE notice to inspect I‑9 forms or similar records, unless federal law says otherwise. State and local government employers cannot report or threaten to report you to federal immigration authorities because you s… - Commission to study immigration issues: benefit, low. A Commission on Immigration Matters operates for three years, with possible extension up to three more. It meets at least four times a year, holds at least one public hearing annually, and issues at least one annual report with recommendations. - Courts weigh final removal orders: cost, medium. In felony cases, judges must consider a final order of removal when deciding pretrial detention, but only if appeals are exhausted or waived, no stay or similar action exists, and the federal government has begun actively executing the order. - Deadlines to roll out new policies: mixed, medium. The governor publishes temporary guidelines within 30 days and final rules within 190 days. Health agencies issue a model health‑care policy within 30 days, and covered providers must adopt their policies within 60 days. Schools and child‑care programs must have required policies in place by Septem… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Protect Act - Cosponsor: Aaron L. Saunders (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Adam Gómez (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Adam J. Scanlon (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Adrian C. Madaro (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Amy Mah Sangiolo (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Andres X. Vargas (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Barry R. Finegold (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Brandy Fluker-Reid (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Bud L. Williams (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Carlos González (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Carmine Lawrence Gentile (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Christine P. Barber (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Christopher Hendricks (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Christopher J. Worrell (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Chynah Tyler (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Danillo A. Sena (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: David M. Rogers (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: David Paul Linsky (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Dawne Shand (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Edward R. Philips (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Erika Uyterhoeven (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Estela A. Reyes (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Francisco E. Paulino (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Frank A. Moran (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Greg Schwartz (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Hadley Luddy (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Hannah Bowen (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Homar Gómez (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jack Patrick Lewis (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: James C. Arena-DeRosa (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: James K. Hawkins (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jason M. Lewis (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Jay D. Livingstone (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jennifer Balinsky Armini (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Jessica Ann Giannino (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: John Barrett III (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: John Francis Moran (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: John J. Lawn Jr. (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Judith A. Garcia (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Kenneth I. Gordon (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Kevin G. Honan (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Kip A. Diggs (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Kristin E. Kassner (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Leigh Davis (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Lindsay N. Sabadosa (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Lisa Field (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Liz Miranda (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Lydia Edwards (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Manny Cruz (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Marcus S. Vaughn (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Marjorie C. Decker (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Mary S. Keefe (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Michael J. Barrett (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Michael P. Kushmerek (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Michelle L. Badger (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Michelle L. Ciccolo (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Michelle M. DuBois (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Mike Connolly (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Mindy Domb (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Natalie M. Higgins (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Nick Collins (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Orlando Ramos (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Patricia A. Duffy (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Patricia D. Jehlen (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Paul J. Donato (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Pavel M. Payano (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Priscila S. Sousa (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Rebecca L. Rausch (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Rita A. Mendes (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Rob Consalvo (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Robyn K. Kennedy (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Rodney M. Elliott (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Russell E. Holmes (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Ryan M. Hamilton (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Sal N. DiDomenico (Democratic), Senate - Cosponsor: Sally P. Kerans (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Samantha Montaño (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Sean Garballey (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Sean Reid (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Shirley B. Arriaga (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Simon Cataldo (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Steven Owens (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Steven Ultrino (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Susannah M. Whipps (Independent), House - Cosponsor: Tackey Chan (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Tara T. Hong (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Thomas M. Stanley (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Thomas W. Moakley (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Tommy Vitolo (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Tram T. Nguyen (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Tricia Farley-Bouvier (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: Vanna Howard (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: William F. MacGregor (Democratic), House - Cosponsor: William J. Driscoll Jr. (Democratic), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-07-30 | House | Committee of conference report accepted | pass | 137 | 21 | | | 2026-07-30 | House | Quorum Roll Call | pass | 149 | 0 | | | 2026-07-30 | House | Enacted | pass | 137 | 21 | | ## Actions (15) - 2026-08-05: Signed by the Governor, Chapter 163 of the Acts of 2026 - 2026-07-30: Enacted and laid before the Governor (Senate) - 2026-07-30: Enacted - 137 YEAS to 21 NAYS (See YEA and NAY No. 251) (House) - 2026-07-30: Emergency preamble adopted (Senate) - 2026-07-30: Emergency preamble adopted (House) - 2026-07-30: Quorum Roll Call - 149 YEAS to 0 NAYS (See YEA and NAY No. 249) (House) - 2026-07-30: Emergency preamble pending (House) - 2026-07-30: Committee of conference report accepted, in concurrence (Senate) - 2026-07-30: Committee of conference report accepted - 137 YEAS to 21 NAYS (See YEA and NAY No. 243) (House) - 2026-07-30: Rules suspended (House) - 2026-07-30: Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting, the question being on acceptance (House) - 2026-07-30: Rules suspended (House) - 2026-07-29: Referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling (House) - 2026-07-29: Reported on H5316 (House) - 2026-07-29: Reported from the committee of conference (House) ## Bill text - Chapter 163 of the Acts of 2026, 2026-08-05: [PDF](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5620.pdf) ## Related bills - H 5435: An Act authorizing the town of Topsfield to continue to employment of police chief Neal Hovey (passed senate) - H 4585: An Act authorizing the town of Auburn to offer expanded senior property tax abatements (signed) - H 5515: An Act to increase the value of estates eligible for abatements pursuant to M.G.L. chapter 59, section 5, clauses seventeenth D and forty-first C in the town o… (passed house) - H 5520: An Act exempting George Patrinos from the maximum age requirement age for the position of firefighter in the town of Dudley (signed) - H 5429: An Act providing injured on duty compensation to Chelmsford firefighter Nicholas Spinale (second reading) - H 4755: An Act amending the means tested senior citizen property tax exemption in the town of Sudbury (signed) ## Sources - [Chapter 163 of the Acts of 2026 (PDF)](https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H5620.pdf) ## Related - [H 5435: An Act authorizing the town of Topsfield to continue to employment of police ch…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5435-194) - [H 4585: An Act authorizing the town of Auburn to offer expanded senior property tax aba…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4585-194) - [H 5515: An Act to increase the value of estates eligible for abatements pursuant to M.G…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5515-194) - [H 5520: An Act exempting George Patrinos from the maximum age requirement age for the p…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5520-194) - [H 5429: An Act providing injured on duty compensation to Chelmsford firefighter Nichola…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5429-194) - [H 4755: An Act amending the means tested senior citizen property tax exemption in the t…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H4755-194) - [Massachusetts bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/massachusetts/bills) - [Massachusetts state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/massachusetts) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MA-H5620-194 (as of 2026-11-01).