Bill S.35

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1068        FILED ON: 1/13/2009

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 35

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Cynthia Stone Creem (BY REQUEST)

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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 to survey the needs of children, adults and senio rs who are visually impaired.

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PETITION OF:

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
 

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In the Year Two Thousand and Nine

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An Act An Act to survey the needs of children, adults and seniors who are visually impaired .


 

              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. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the department of public health shall conduct a study for the purpose of collecting data that will determine what services will benefit the visually impaired and increasing number of elders w ho are experiencing vision loss associated with aging and not receiving services that would allow them to maintain their quality of life.   The study shall survey the needs of children, adults and seniors who are visually impaired and residents of Commonwea lth.  

(b) For the purposes of this study an individual shall be considered visually impaired if he or she meets one or more of the following criteria;

(1) he or she has an impairment of visual function which cannot be improved, by the use of corrective l enses, to a level that would normally be acceptable for reading without a special level or kind of light;

(2) he or she is unable, through physical disability, to hold or manipulate a book; or

(3) he or she is unable, through physical disability, to focu s or move his or her eyes to the extent that would normally be acceptable for reading

(4) he or she has any other impairment of visual function but is not legally blind.

( c )     The department shall consult with the following seven individuals regarding the scope of the study:   the M assachusetts R ehabilitation C ommission or his designee, the C ommissioner of C ommission for the B lind or his designee, the S ecretary of the Office of E lder A ffairs or his designee, the C ommissioner of the D epartment of E ducation o r his designee, the C hief E xecutive O fficer of MAB community services or his designee, the president of the S ilver Haired L egislature or his desi gnee, and the president of the M assachusetts Association of P arents of V isually I mpaired C hildren or his design ee.  

(d)   The department shall conduct and complete this study by June 30, 20 10 .     By June 30, 20 10 , the department shall submit its report to the P resident of the S enate, the S peaker of the H ouse of R epresentatives, the S enate and House chairs of the Joint C ommittee on C hildren and Families,   and the S enate and H ouse chairs of the Joint Committee on Health Care F inancing.