Whereas , The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to allow forthwith victims of violent and sexual crimes to testify at parole hearings, therefore, it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public safety and convenience.

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

Chapter 127 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 133D, inserted by section 9 of chapter 74 of the acts of 1999, the following section:-

Section 133E. Victims, and parents or legal guardians of minor victims, of a violent crime or a sex offense for which a sentence was imposed, who have been certified by the criminal history systems board in accordance with section 172 of chapter 6 and section 3 of chapter 258B, may testify in person at the parole hearing of the perpetrator of the crime of which they were victims, or submit written testimony to the parole board.

For the purpose of this section, "sex offense" and "violent crime" shall be defined as follows:

"Sex offense", an indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 under section 13B of chapter 265; indecent assault and battery on a mentally retarded person under section 13F of said chapter 265; indecent assault and battery on a person age14 or over under section 13H of said chapter 265; rape under section 22 of said chapter 265; rape of a child under 16 with force under section 22A of said chapter 265; rape and abuse of a child under section 23 of said chapter 265; assault with intent to commit rape under section 24 of said chapter 265; assault of a child with intent to commit rape under section 24B of said chapter 265; kidnapping of a child under section 26 of said chapter 265; enticing away a person for prostitution or sexual intercourse under section 2 of chapter 272; drugging persons for sexual intercourse under section 3 of said chapter 272; inducing a minor into prostitution under section 4A of said chapter 272; living off or sharing earnings of a minor prostitute under section 4B of said chapter 272; incestuous marriage or intercourse under section 17 of said chapter 272; disseminating to a minor matter harmful to a minor under section 28 of said chapter 272; posing or exhibiting a child in a state of nudity under section 29A of said chapter 272; dissemination of visual material of a child in a state of nudity or sexual conduct under section 29B of said chapter 272; unnatural and lascivious acts with a child under 16 under section 35A of said chapter 272; aggravated rape under section 39 of chapter 277; and any attempt to commit a violation of any of the aforementioned sections pursuant to section 6 of chapter 274.

"Violent crime", any crime (a) for which an individual has been sentenced to imprisonment of 1 year or more, and (b) that: (i) has as an element the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force or a deadly weapon against the person of another; (ii) is burglary, extortion, arson or kidnapping; (iii) involves the use of explosives; or (iv) otherwise involves conduct that presents a serious risk of physical injury to another.