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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3821 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3016
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Mindy Domb and Natalie M. Blais
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying
resolution:
Resolutions establishing the annual observance of COVID-19 Remembrance Day.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/20/2023Natalie M. Blais1st Franklin1/20/2023Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/23/2023Hannah Kane11th Worcester1/25/2023Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester1/26/2023Christopher Hendricks11th Bristol1/26/2023Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex1/27/2023Carol A. Doherty3rd Bristol1/30/2023Paul W. MarkBerkshire, Hampden, Franklin and
Hampshire
1/30/2023Tram T. Nguyen18th Essex1/30/2023John J. CroninWorcester and Middlesex1/30/2023Meghan Kilcoyne12th Worcester2/1/2023Patricia A. Duffy5th Hampden2/1/2023Jacob R. OliveiraHampden, Hampshire and Worcester2/3/2023Barry R. FinegoldSecond Essex and Middlesex2/3/2023Jay D. Livingstone8th Suffolk2/6/2023 2 of 2
Bud L. Williams11th Hampden2/6/2023Steven Owens29th Middlesex2/6/2023John Barrett, III1st Berkshire2/6/2023Bradley H. Jones, Jr.20th Middlesex2/6/2023Michelle M. DuBois10th Plymouth2/7/2023Jason M. LewisFifth Middlesex2/13/2023Colleen M. Garry36th Middlesex2/13/2023Liz MirandaSecond Suffolk2/13/2023Patrick M. O'ConnorFirst Plymouth and Norfolk2/13/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/15/2023David T. Vieira3rd Barnstable2/16/2023Carlos González10th Hampden2/16/2023Sal N. DiDomenicoMiddlesex and Suffolk2/21/2023Kate Lipper-Garabedian32nd Middlesex2/22/2023Daniel R. Carey2nd Hampshire2/23/2023Danillo A. Sena37th Middlesex2/23/2023Patrick Joseph Kearney4th Plymouth2/24/2023William C. Galvin6th Norfolk3/1/2023David Allen Robertson19th Middlesex3/1/2023Michael O. MooreSecond Worcester3/2/2023Michael D. BradySecond Plymouth and Norfolk3/3/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex3/5/2023Jack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex3/7/2023Lydia EdwardsThird Suffolk3/9/2023Samantha Montaño15th Suffolk3/9/2023Sean Garballey23rd Middlesex3/10/2023James C. Arena-DeRosa8th Middlesex3/13/2023Ryan M. Hamilton15th Essex3/13/2023 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3821 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3016
By Representatives Domb of Amherst and Blais of Deerfield, a petition (accompanied by
resolutions, House, No. 3016) of Mindy Domb, Natalie M. Blais and others for the annual
issuance of a proclamation by the Governor designating the first Monday in March as COVID-19
remembrance day. State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 4224 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
_______________
Resolutions establishing the annual observance of COVID-19 Remembrance Day.
1 SECTION 1. The General Court hereby finds and declares that:
2 (i) the 2019 novel coronavirus, SARS –CoV–2, also known as COVID-19, is a deadly
3illness caused by a virus that can transmit from person to person;
4 (ii) in 2020, COVID-19 began to spread throughout the world, creating a global
5pandemic that has had a catastrophic impact on human life, communities in the commonwealth,
6communities in the United States and the United States economy;
7 (iii) in March 2020, communities in every state began to experience increased loss of life
8and families lost loved ones, friends and neighbors to the virus;
9 (iv) the governor declared a state of emergency in response to the virus on March 10,
102020, which was subsequently terminated on June 15, 2021; 2 of 3
11 (v) beginning in 2020, many across the commonwealth and the United States were, and
12continue to be, personally impacted by COVID-19, including mourning their loved ones, friends
13and neighbors or suffering from the long-term health implications of the virus;
14 (vi) as of January 2023, in the commonwealth, there have been more than 1.9 million
15known cases of COVID-19 and at least 21,500 people who have lost their lives as a result of
16COVID-19;
17 (vii) as of January 2023, in the United States, there have been more than 101.5 million
18known cases of the virus in the United States and at least 1 million people who have lost their
19lives as a result of COVID-19;
20 (vii) WHEREAS, COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on low-income
21communities and communities of color, people with disabilities, people with weakened immune
22systems, unhoused individuals, and those living in congregate settings, including long term care
23facilities, exacerbating preexisting inequities;
24 (viii) WHEREAS public servants, frontline and essential workers and health care
25professionals took selfless actions to protect their neighbors and communities and find
26innovative ways to provide services;
27 (x) WHEREAS local, state, tribal and federal government entities provided critical
28support to businesses, communities and the people of the commonwealth and the United States;
29 (xi) WHEREAS the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have an impact on the
30commonwealth, the United States and countries around the world; and 3 of 3
31 (xii) WHEREAS each life lost to COVID-19, each inequity brought to light and each
32sacrifice made shall never be forgotten.
33 SECTION 2. Chapter 6 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section
3415LLLLLL the following section:-
35 Section 15MMMMMM. The governor shall annually issue a proclamation setting apart
36the first Monday in March as COVID-19 Remembrance Day, in recognition of those who died
37from 2019 novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, the suffering of those who contracted
38COVID-19 and survived but carry with them the long-term health implications of the virus, and
39to acknowledge the frontline and essential workers who provided services to our communities,
40and the selfless actions of the many residents of the commonwealth who volunteered to support
41their neighbors and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic including those members of
42the National Guard, and recommending the day be observed in an appropriate manner by the
43people of the commonwealth.