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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2660 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 245 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Danielle W. Gregoire |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act regarding the use of aversive therapy. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Danielle W. Gregoire4th Middlesex1/16/2025James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester3/4/2025 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2660 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 245 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Gregoire of Marlborough, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 245) of |
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| 19 | 19 | | Danielle W. Gregoire and James B. Eldridge for legislation to prohibit the use of procedures |
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| 20 | 20 | | which cause physical pain or deny a reasonable humane existence to persons with disabilities. |
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| 21 | 21 | | Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities. |
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| 22 | 22 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 23 | 23 | | SEE HOUSE, NO. 180 OF 2023-2024.] |
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| 24 | 24 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 28 | 28 | | _______________ |
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| 29 | 29 | | An Act regarding the use of aversive therapy. |
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| 30 | 30 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 31 | 31 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 32 | 32 | | 1 Section 16 of Chapter 6A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 official edition, |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2is hereby amended by inserting the following text:- |
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| 34 | 34 | | 3 No program, agency, or facility funded, operated, licensed, or approved by any agency or |
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| 35 | 35 | | 4subdivision of the Commonwealth shall administer or cause to be administered to any person |
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| 36 | 36 | | 5with a physical, intellectual, or developmental disability any procedure which causes obvious |
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| 37 | 37 | | 6signs of physical pain, including, but not limited to, hitting, pinching, and electric shock for the |
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| 38 | 38 | | 7purposes of changing the behavior of the person. |
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| 39 | 39 | | 8 No such program may employ any form of physical contact or punishment that is |
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| 40 | 40 | | 9otherwise prohibited by law, or would be prohibited if used on a non-disabled person. 2 of 2 |
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| 41 | 41 | | 10 No such program may employ any procedure which denies a person with a physical, |
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| 42 | 42 | | 11intellectual, or developmental disability reasonable sleep, food, shelter, bedding, bathroom |
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| 43 | 43 | | 12facilities, and any other aspect expected of a humane existence in the Commonwealth. |
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