HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1789 FILED ON: 1/17/2013
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 106
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Danielle W. Gregoire
_______________
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:
An Act regarding the use of aversive therapy .
_______________
PETITION OF:
Name: | District/Address: |
Danielle W. Gregoire | 4th Middlesex |
Tom Sannicandro | 7th Middlesex |
Dennis A. Rosa | 4th Worcester |
Louis L. Kafka | 8th Norfolk |
Tricia Farley-Bouvier | 3rd Berkshire |
William Smitty Pignatelli | 4th Berkshire |
Christine E. Canavan | 10th Plymouth |
Mary S. Keefe | 15th Worcester |
Katherine M. Clark | Fifth Middlesex |
Paul R. Heroux | 2nd Bristol |
James M. Murphy | 4th Norfolk |
Kevin J. Murphy | 18th Middlesex |
Cory Atkins | 14th Middlesex |
James B. Eldridge | Middlesex and Worcester |
Jonathan Hecht | 29th Middlesex |
Carl M. Sciortino, Jr. | 34th Middlesex |
Diana DiZoglio | 14th Essex |
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1789 FILED ON: 1/17/2013
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 106
By Miss Gregoire of Marlborough, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 106) of Danielle W. Gregoire and others for legislation to prohibit the use of procedures which cause physical pain or deny a reasonable humane existence to persons with disabilities . Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities. |
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
An Act regarding the use of aversive therapy .
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 2010 official edition, is hereby amended by inserting the following text:-
No program, agency, or facility funded, operated, licensed, or approved by any agency or subdivision of the Commonwealth shall administer or cause to be administered to any person with a physical, intellectual, or developmental 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, intellectual, or developmental disability reasonable sleep, food, shelter, bedding, bathroom facilities, and any other aspect expected of a humane existence in the Commonwealth.
