Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey signed legislation Thursday morning that bans revenge pornography and cracks down on coercive control by domestic abusers.
The governor’s signature makes Massachusetts the 49th state to prohibit revenge porn, leaving South Carolina as the only outlier.
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Healey was joined at the 10 a.m. bill-signing ceremony at the State House by Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, Senate President Karen Spilka, Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues, Judiciary Committee co-chair Rep. Michael Day and Sen. John Keenan, among other officials, advocates and survivors.
The Senate shipped the compromise bill, which both branches unanimously approved, to Healey’s desk last Thursday. The legislation bans the sharing of sexually explicit images and videos without the subject’s consent, and creates a diversion and education program for adolescents who are involved in sexting. It also installs protections for domestic abuse victims against “coercive control,” which can impair people’s safety and autonomy.
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Healey spokesperson Karissa Hand last week said the governor “has long supported legislation to ban revenge porn and hold accountable those who would engage in abusive, coercive and deeply harmful behavior.”
