BOSTON – Massachusetts is close to changing a nearly 200-year-old law that limits to $1,000 the penalty for corporate manslaughter.
The House unanimously approved a bill on Monday that would allow for fines of up to $250,000 against companies convicted of criminally negligent behavior that results in death. The Senate also backed the measure in a unanimous vote in September.
Supporters of the bill, including Attorney General Martha Coakley, noted that the current maximum penalty of just $1,000 dates back to 1819.
State Rep. Eugene O’Flaherty, a Chelsea Democrat, said the change would give the attorney general more discretion in seeking punishment in cases of “horrible” malfeasance by corporations.
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