Hello, friends and advocates! February 2 is fast approaching and an important bill to so many self-advocates, families, and organizations has not passed favorably from the committee yet! It must do so by 2/2/22 or it doesn’t move forward in the process to become law.
H2090/S1257, “Creation of a commission on the history of state institutions for people with developmental, intellectual, and mental health disabilities in the Commonwealth.”
Please take action and share with all your networks, disability and otherwise! This is a bill that will establish a disability-majority state commission of 18 people, with representation by state agencies and disability advocacy groups.
Our bill Sponsors are Senator Mike Barrett and Representative Sean Garballey.
The commission will investigate and report on:
- The status of former institutional residents living independently today
- The location of all documents from the former state institutions
- The availability of such records to former residents, descendants, and the general public
- The location of burials for all residents who died in the care of the Commonwealth
- The potential for unmarked graves at former state institutions
There is very little time left so please do this today! Contact Maura at Sullivan@arcmass.org with any questions or if you have more time to help.
