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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4071 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 558
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Carol A. Doherty
_________________
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 to promote the inclusion of American Sign Language in the Commonwealth’s public
schools, AKA The American Sign Language Inclusion Act.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Carol A. Doherty3rd Bristol1/17/2025Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/17/2025Dawne Shand1st Essex1/23/2025David T. Vieira3rd Barnstable1/23/2025Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex1/23/2025Steven George Xiarhos5th Barnstable1/23/2025Paul McMurtry11th Norfolk1/23/2025Jessica Ann Giannino16th Suffolk1/23/2025Susannah M. Whipps2nd Franklin1/23/2025Steven Owens29th Middlesex1/23/2025David Paul Linsky5th Middlesex1/23/2025James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol1/23/2025Kristin E. Kassner2nd Essex1/23/2025Dennis C. Gallagher8th Plymouth1/23/2025Danillo A. Sena37th Middlesex2/3/2025Natalie M. Higgins4th Worcester2/3/2025Samantha Montaño15th Suffolk2/7/2025 2 of 2
Jacob R. OliveiraHampden, Hampshire and Worcester2/7/2025 1 of 1
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4071 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 558
By Representative Doherty of Taunton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 558) of
Carol A. Doherty and others relative to courses in American Sign Language. Education.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
An Act to promote the inclusion of American Sign Language in the Commonwealth’s public
schools, AKA The American Sign Language Inclusion Act.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 2B of Chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
2Official Edition is hereby amended by striking out the words, in line 4, “may be taught” and
3inserting in place thereof the following: “shall be taught in each of the Commonwealth’s
4secondary schools”
5 SECTION 2. Section 2B of Chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
6Official Edition is hereby further amended by inserting, after the word “society” in line 8 the
7following:- “, as many children with autism have been able to learn and communicate
8successfully via sign language because it is visually based, unaided, and provides a mode of
9quick communication.”
10 SECTION 3. Section 2B of Chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
11Official Edition is hereby further amended by striking out the word, in line 8, “may” and
12inserting in place thereof the following: “shall”.