Mass. Gen. Laws » Part I Title II Chapter 6
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 6, § 172C (2026)

Dissemination of criminal offender record information to agencies employing or referring individuals to provide services to elderly or disabled persons

✓ current as of July 2026
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Section 172C. For purposes of this section, the following words shall, unless the context requires otherwise, have the following meanings:—

''Elderly person'', an individual who is sixty years of age or over.

''Disabled person'', a person who is mentally retarded, as defined by section one of chapter one hundred and twenty-three B, or who is otherwise mentally or physically disabled and as a result of such mental or physical disability is wholly or partially dependent on others to meet his daily living needs.

Notwithstanding the provisions of section one hundred and seventy-two, criminal offender record information shall be available to any of the following entities which employ, accept as a volunteer or refer for employment to a client any individual who will provide care, treatment, education, training, transportation, delivery of meals, instruction, counseling, supervision, recreation or other services in a home or in a community based setting for any elderly person or disabled person or who will have any direct or indirect contact with such elderly or disabled persons or access to such persons' files:

(1) any agency which provides homemaker, home health aide, companion or other community based services to elderly persons or disabled persons in home or community based settings, including, but not limited to home health agencies certified under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act;

(2) a home care corporation established pursuant to the provisions of chapter nineteen A;

(3) a municipality; or

(4) any agency or organization that employs or refers personal care attendants; or

(5) any other entity receiving federal, state or local funds.

Such entities shall obtain all available criminal offender record information concerning any such individual from the department prior to employing such individual, accepting such individual as a volunteer or referring such individual for employment to an elderly or disabled person. Any entity obtaining information under this section shall not disseminate such information for any purpose other than to further the protection of the elderly or the disabled.

A violation of this section shall constitute a violation of section 2 of chapter 93A.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 3 cases, 2001–2010 · leading case: Roe v. Attorney Gen., 434 Mass. 418 (Mass. 2001).
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Roe v. Attorney Gen., 434 Mass. 418 (Mass. 2001). “See G. L. c. 6, § 172C (providers of homemaker, home health care, or companion services to disabled or elderly clients must check criminal record of each potential employee and may check criminal records of all current employees); § 172E (same for long-term care facilities with…”
Commonwealth v. Weeks, 927 N.E.2d 1023 (Mass. App. Ct. 2010). “See G. L. c. 6, §§ 172C, 172D, 172E, 172F. Unlike drug certificates, docket sheets are not prepared for an upcoming case and are not testimonial since the authors are not witnesses against the criminal defendant.”
Globe Newspaper Co. v. Dist. Attorney for the Middle Dist., 788 N.E.2d 513 (Mass. 2003). “See G. L. c. 6, § 172C (home health care or personal care attendants); § 172E (employees of long-term care facilities who provide direct personal care to residents); § 172G (Supp.”
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