HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 00401         FILED ON: 01/14/2011

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 00077

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Tom Sannicandro

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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 passage of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to the humane treatment of disabled persons..

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .    No. 00077

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE
                    HOUSE
                  , NO. 154 OF 2009-2010.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
 

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In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

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An Act relative to the humane treatment of disabled persons..

              Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 16 of Chapter 6A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2006 official edition, is hereby amended by adding at the thereof the following text:-

Disabled citizens, as all other citizens of the Commonwealth, are entitled to equal protection under Article CXIV of the Massachusetts Constitution, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicap, and the full protection of the laws of the Commonwealth, which prohibit the use of corporal punishment on school children and prisoners.

No program funded, operated, licensed, or approved by any agency or subdivision of the Commonwealth shall administer to any person with a physical or mental disability any procedure which causes obvious signs of physical pain, including, but not limited to, hitting, pinching, and electric shock for the purposes of changing the behavior of the person.

No such program may employ any form of physical contact or punishment that is otherwise prohibited by law, or would be prohibited if used on a non-disabled person.

No such program may employ any procedure which denies a person with a physical or mental disability adequate sleep, food, shelter, bedding or bathroom facilities.             

SIGN THE PETITION IN SUPPORT OF THIS BILL - WHETHER YOU LIVE IN MASSACHUSETTS OR NOT.

For the direct link to the bill, go to:

http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/BillHtml/9706?generalCourtId=1