MA H1902

Defines "testifying informant" as someone who testifies about admissions made by the accused and who has requested, received, or may receive a benefit (plea bargains, reduced sentences, financial payments, immunity, or improved incarceration conditions) in exchange for testimony

Requires district attorney offices and the Attorney General's Office to create and maintain centralized records documenting each informant's complete criminal history, all deals or benefits offered, and all communications with the informant; records must be shared statewide through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security

Mandates pre-trial disclosure to defendants of informant criminal history, all communications about deals or benefits, time and place of alleged incriminating statements, any inconsistent statements made by the informant, and the informant's involvement in other cases

Requires trial courts to conduct pre-trial reliability hearings where the Commonwealth must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that informant testimony is reliable; testimony is excluded if this burden is not met

Requires prosecutors to notify victims when a testifying informant receives leniency on charges involving crimes against that victim in exchange for testimony