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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1941 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2107
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
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.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Nick CollinsFirst Suffolk 1 of 3
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1941 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2107
By Mr. Collins, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2107) 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. 2456 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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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 10% of individuals with
6disabilities hired within such contract. Companies/bidders awarded such contracts must employ a
7minimum of 75 full-time equivalents. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary,
8the Supplier Diversity Office in consultation with the Massachusetts Office on Disability, the
9Massachusetts Commission for the Blind and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission shall
10implement and regulate said law. In addition, said agencies will arrange for Employment 2 of 3
11support services for all individuals with disabilities hired through a vast array of non-Profit
12employment providers located throughout the Commonwealth.
13 (b) Such services shall include but not be limited to janitorial and custodial services,
14landscaping services, mailroom services, food services, fleet management, manufacturing, trash
15removal, document destruction, call centers, electronic scanning of documents, and facility
16management services including but not limited to HVAC Services, Painting, Emergency Repair
17Series, and Snow Removal.
18 (c) For the purpose of this act, an individual with a disability will be defined as: someone
19(i) who has a severe physical or mental impairment which seriously limits one or more functional
20capacities (such as mobility, communication, self-care, self-direction, interpersonal skills, work
21tolerance, or work skills) in terms of an employment outcome; (ii) someone whose vocational
22rehabilitation can be expected to require multiple vocational rehabilitation services over an
23extended period of time; (iii) someone who has one or more physical or mental disabilities
24resulting from amputation, arthritis, autism, blindness, burn injury, cancer, cerebral palsy, cystic
25fibrosis, deafness, head injury, heart disease, hemiplegia, hemophilia, respiratory or pulmonary
26dysfunction, mental retardation, mental illness, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, musculo-
27skeletal disorders, neurological disorders (including stroke and epilepsy), paraplegia,
28quadriplegia, and other spinal cord conditions, sickle cell anemia, specific learning disability,
29end-stage renal disease, or another disability or combination of disabilities determined on the
30basis of an assessment for determining eligibility and vocational rehabilitation to cause
31comparable substantial functional limitation. 3 of 3
32 (d) The percentage requirements shall be met within one year of award of such contract,
33and steps shall be taken to minimize the displacement of any workers already providing the
34services covered by such a contract.