Laws by popular name L-R

An index to Massachusetts laws with popular names L-R

L

Subject	Citations
Labor	MGL c. 149 Industrial safety: 454 CMR
Lacey Packer law (drunk driving)	MGL c. 90, § 22 MGL c. 90, § 23 MGL c. 90, § 30 MGL c. 90, § 33
Lamb Warning	Comm. v. Lamb, 365 Mass. 265 (1974)
Landlord tenant laws	See: Law About Landlord-Tenant
Larceny by check	MGL c. 266, § 37
Laura's law (emergency room access)	St. 2020, c. 384
Laura's law (organ & tissue donation)	St. 2010, c. 190
Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA)	501 CMR 13 515 CMR 6
Lead paint law	See: Law About Lead Paint
Legal age	MGL c. 4, § 7 (cl.48-51)
Lemon laws (new & used cars)	MGL c. 90, § 7N 1/4 & § 7N 1/2 Lemon aid law (voiding sale contracts): MGL c. 90, § 7N Motor vehicle arbitration regulations: 201 CMR 11 Motor vehicle sales & repair shop regulations: 940 CMR 5 Private party sales: Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
Lemon law (pets)	330 CMR 12.05 Licensing & operation of pet shops: MGL c. 129, § 39A
Lemon law (wheelchairs)	MGL c. 93, § 107 201 CMR 19
Limited Liability Company Act	See: Law About Limited Liability Companies
Little Miller Act	MGL c. 149 § 29
Lizzie's law (protection of children)	MGL c. 119, § 35 Children born out of wedlock: MGL c. 209C, § 3 Parents convicted of murder: MGL c. 209, § 37 Visitation & custody: MGL c. 209, § 38
Living wills	See: Law About Health Care Proxies and Living Wills
Logan's Law (devocalizing dogs and cats)	MGL c. 272, § 80 1/2
Long arm statute	MGL c. 223A Drivers who reside in other states: MGL c. 90, § 3A
Lung law	MGL c. 32, § 94A

M

Subject	Citations
Manslaughter	MGL c. 277, § 79 Penalty: MGL c. 265, § 13
Marriage	See: Law About Marriage Annulment: MGL c. 207, § 14 Common law marriage: While Massachusetts recognizes a valid common law marriage from another state, a common law marriage cannot be created in Massachusetts. Same-sex marriage: See: Law About Same-Sex Marriage Three day wait for marriage: MGL c. 207, § 19
Married person's/women's property	MGL c. 209
Massachusetts Antitrust Act	MGL c. 93
Massachusetts Clean Air Act	MGL c. 111, § 142A
Massachusetts Education Reform Act (MERA)	St. 1993, c. 71
Massachusetts Endangered Species Act	MGL c. 131A Endangered Species Act regulations: 321 CMR 10
Massachusetts False Claims Act	MGL c. 12, §§ 5A-5O
Massachusetts Limited Liability Company Act	See: Law About Limited Liability Companies
Massachusetts tort claims against state and local government	MGL c. 258 Settlements and judgments: 815 CMR 5
Massachusetts Travel Seller Law	940 CMR 15.06
Massachusetts White Cane Law	MGL c. 90, § 14A
MassHealth program	See: Law About Medicaid (MassHealth)
Mattresses, resale of used	MGL c. 94, § 271A
Maximum hours (public sector employment)	MGL c. 149, §§ 30-42
McMansions, zoning	Bjorklund v. ZBA of Norwell, 450 Mass. 357 (2008)
Meal break at work	MGL c. 149, § 100
Mechanics' lien on buildings & land	See: Law About Mechanics' Liens
Mechanics' lien on motor vehicles	MGL c. 255, § 25
Medical records, inspection	See: Law About Medical Records Privacy
Megan's law (registration of sex offenders)	St. 1999, c. 74 (text of original law) See Also: Law About Sex Offenders
Melanie's Law (drunk driving)	St. 2005, c. 122 (text of original law) See Also: Law About Drunk Driving
Melissa's Law (3 Strikes)	St. 2012, c. 192
Mental health laws (including civil & criminal commitment)	See: Law About Mental Health Care
Mercury Management Act	St. 2006, c. 190
Mercy killing	MGL c. 201D, § 12
MERIT Plan (tax breaks for vets)	MGL c. 59, § 5, cl. 22-22D
Michael's Law (medical emergency response in schools)	St. 2012, c. 77
Millionaire's tax	Article of Amendment CXXI
Minimum Fair Wage Law	See: Law About Minimum Wage
Minor in possession of alcohol	MGL c. 138, § 34C
Misdemeanor (definition & penalty)	MGL c. 274, § 1
Moffett filings	Comm. v. Moffett, 383 Mass. 201 (1981) Guide to Moffett Filings, Mass. Appeals Court
Mortgage foreclosure	See: Law About Foreclosure
Motor vehicle insurance	See: Law About Auto Insurance
Motor vehicle registration	MGL c. 90, §§ 1-34R
Motorcycle headgear (helmet laws)	MGL c. 90, § 7  540 CMR 22.08
Move Over law	MGL c. 89, § 7C
Murder (definition)	MGL c. 265, § 1
Mutina instruction (Consequences of not guilty by reason of lack of criminal responsibility)	Comm. v. Chappell, 473 Mass. 191 (2015)

N

Subject	Citations
Narcotics and drug laws (controlled substances)	MGL c. 94C Penalty for use of date rape drug: MGL c. 272, § 3
NASTY Women Act (repealing archaic abortion laws)	St. 2018, c. 155
National Popular Vote Bill	St. 2010, c. 229
Needle exchange	MGL c. 111, § 215 MGL c. 94C, § 27
Nero's Law (allowing ambulance transportation of police dogs)	St. 2022, c. 23
Nicky's Law (registry of abuse of intellectually or developmentally disabled)	St. 2020, c. 19
Nicole's Law (carbon monoxide detectors)	MGL c. 148, § 26F 1/2  527 CMR 1  See Also: Law About Carbon Monoxide Detectors
Nine hour work day	MGL c. 149, § 56
No-fault auto insurance	See: Law About Auto Insurance
No-fault divorce (irretrievable breakdown of marriage)	MGL c. 208, § 1A & § 1B MGL c. 208, § 21
No-fix law	MGL c. 90C, § 2 Comm. v. O'Leary, 92 Mass. App. Ct. 282 (2017)
No-knock warrants	MGL c. 276, § 2D
No surprises act	PL 116-260, Division BB, Title I (p.1576)
Nonresident motorist, operation of motor vehicles	MGL c. 90, § 3 & § 3A
Nursing, Board of Registration	MGL c. 13, §§ 13-15D Registration of nurses: MGL c. 112, §§ 74-81C Nursing regulations: 244 CMR

O

Subject	Citations
Old Deluder Satan Law	Massachusetts Bay Colony law of 1647
Ollie's law (Kennel safety)	St. 2024, c. 213
Open and gross lewdness	MGL c. 272, § 16
Open container law	MGL c. 90, § 24I
Overtime pay	See: Law About Overtime

P

Subject	Citations
Pacheco law (limiting privatization of state services)	MGL c. 7, §§ 52-55
Padlocking law (premises which are a nuisance)	MGL c. 139, § 16A
PATCH Act	MGL c. 176O, § 27
Patients' Bill of Rights	MGL c. 111, § 70E
PAWS Act	St. 2014, c. 293
PAWS II Act	St. 2018, c. 219
Peaceful persuasion (labor disputes)	MGL c. 149, § 24
Peeping Tom	MGL c. 272, § 105(b)
Perjury	MGL c. 268, §§ 1-6
Personal property exemption	MGL c. 235, § 34
Pet lemon law	330 CMR 12.05
PIP (auto insurance personal injury protection)	MGL c. 90, § 34M
Playgrounds	MGL c. 45, §§ 14-18
Police reform	St. 2020, c. 253
Popular vote for president	St. 2010, c. 229
Pothole law (highway defects)	See: Law About Potholes and Road Defects
Potty Parity	248 CMR 10.10(18)
Prevailing wages in public works	See: Law About Prevailing Wage
Privacy	See: Law About Privacy
Prompt Payment Act	MGL c. 149, § 29E
Proposition 2 ½ (limitation on property taxes)	MGL c. 59, § 21C
Public accommodations, penalty for discrimination	MGL c. 272, § 98
Public accommodations, refusal to accommodate travelers	MGL c. 140, § 7
Public records	See: Law About Freedom of Information
Puppy Doe Law	St. 2014, c. 293

Q

Subject	Citations
"Quick take" law (eminent domain)	MGL c. 79
Quinn bill (police career incentive pay program)	MGL c. 41, § 108L

R

Subject	Citations
Racial balance, promotion in schools	MGL c. 71, § 37C & § 37D
Racial imbalance, elimination in schools	MGL c. 15, § 1I & § 1J
Racial imbalance & magnet schools	603 CMR 17
Raffle permits	MGL c. 271, § 7A Regulations governing raffles (Attorney General): 940 CMR 12 Regulations controlling certain raffles & bazaar: 961 CMR 4
Rape	See: Law About Rape and Sex Crimes
Rape shield law	MGL c. 233, § 21B
REAL ID Law	PL 109-13, Division B, Title II (p.72) MGL c. 90, § 8 St. 2016, c. 172
Red flag law (weapons), also known as ERPO	MGL c. 140, §§ 131R-131Y
Red Flags Rule (identity theft)	11/9/07 Federal Register
Rent control, prohibition	MGL c. 40P
Representative town meetings	MGL c. 43A
Resale of tickets ("scalping")	See: Law About Ticket Reselling
Restraining order, domestic relations	MGL c. 209A
Restroom access (for those with certain eligible medical conditions)	MGL c. 270, § 26
Revenge porn act	St. 2024, c. 118
Revise and revoke (sentence)	Mass. R. Crim. P. 29(a)(2)
Ride sharing companies (Uber, Lyft, etc.)	MGL c. 159A-1/2 220 CMR 274 540 CMR 2
Right to bargain (labor)	MGL c. 150A, § 3
Right to cure (foreclosure)	MGL c. 244, § 35A(b)
Right to die (health care proxy)	See: Law About Health Care Proxies and Living Wills
Right to know law (hazardous substances)	MGL c. 111F, §§ 1-21 Employee and community right to know regulations (Department of Environmental Protection): 310 CMR 33 Right to know (Division of Industrial Safety): 454 CMR 21  Right to know (Department of Public Health): 105 CMR 670
Right to organize	MGL c. 150A Administration of Labor Relations law: 456 CMR 2
Right to repair law	MGL c. 93K
Right to shelter law	St. 1983, c. 450
Riverfront area (wetlands protection)	310 CMR 10.58
Rivers protection law	MGL c. 131, § 40 Rivers Protection Act (original text): St. 1996, c. 258
ROE act	St. 2020, c. 263
Romneycare	St. 2006, c. 58

Last updated:	July 17, 2025