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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2451 FILED ON: 1/23/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2456
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Nick Collins
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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 bill:
An Act relative to the employment of persons with disabilities.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Nick CollinsFirst SuffolkJoan B. LovelySecond Essex3/16/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester3/16/2023Patrick M. O'ConnorFirst Plymouth and Norfolk3/21/2023John F. KeenanNorfolk and Plymouth3/23/2023 1 of 2
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2451 FILED ON: 1/23/2023
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2456
By Mr. Collins, a petition (accompanied by bill) (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Nick Collins for
legislation relative to the employment of persons with disabilities. State Administration and
Regulatory Oversight.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 2021 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act relative to the employment of persons with disabilities.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Chapter 7 of the Massachusetts General Laws is hereby amended by placing after Section
238P the following:-
3 SECTION 38Q. (a) Any contract issued for services in the Commonwealth of
4Massachusetts or any political subdivision there-in that receives appropriated funds from the
5legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts shall employ up to 2% of individuals with
6disabilities hired within such contract. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the
7contract, the Supplier Diversity Office in consultation with the Massachusetts Office on
8Disability, the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation
9Commission shall implement and regulate said law. 2 of 2
10 (b) Such services shall include but not be limited to janitorial and custodial services,
11landscaping services, mailroom services, food services, fleet management, manufacturing, trash
12removal, document destruction, electronic scanning of documents, and facility management
13services including but not limited to HVAC Services, Painting, Emergency Repair Series, and
14Snow Removal.
15 (c) For the purpose of this act, an individual with a disability will be defined as: someone
16(i) who has a severe physical or mental impairment which seriously limits one or more functional
17capacities (such as mobility, communication, self-care, self-direction, interpersonal skills, work
18tolerance, or work skills) in terms of an employment outcome; (ii) someone whose vocational
19rehabilitation can be expected to require multiple vocational rehabilitation services over an
20extended period of time; (iii) someone who has one or more physical or mental disabilities
21resulting from amputation, arthritis, autism, blindness, burn injury, cancer, cerebral palsy, cystic
22fibrosis, deafness, head injury, heart disease, hemiplegia, hemophilia, respiratory or pulmonary
23dysfunction, mental retardation, mental illness, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, musculo-
24skeletal disorders, neurological disorders (including stroke and epilepsy), paraplegia,
25quadriplegia, and other spinal cord conditions, sickle cell anemia, specific learning disability,
26end-stage renal disease, or another disability or combination of disabilities determined on the
27basis of an assessment for determining eligibility and vocational rehabilitation to cause
28comparable substantial functional limitation.
29 (d) The percentage requirements shall be met within one year of award of such contract,
30and steps shall be taken to minimize the displacement of any workers already providing the
31services covered by such contract.