2023 Legislative Advocacy
MHLAC’s legislative priorities and current bills we’re supporting:
Protecting Parents with Disabilities from Discrimination
An Act Prohibiting Discrimination Against Adults with Disabilities in Family and Juvenile Court Proceedings, (SD.1037/HD.1601)
Requires Courts to determine if a parent’s disability causes actual harm to a child based on evidence, and not assumptions, before making a negative custody or parenting time decision. Judges would be required to produce written findings as to the connection between a parent’s disability and actual harm to a child. Judges would also need to determine what accommodations might alleviate that harm.
Sponsors: Sen. Lovely, Rep. Khan, Rep. Livingstone
Re-Envisioning Safe Schools
An Act Relative to Safer Schools, (SD.300/HD.517)
Limits the use of police powers in school, collects more data on student/police interactions, requires public reporting of that data to have SROs, and creates a grant program for schools seeking to implement safety practices that do not rely on school-based policing.
Sponsors: Sen. Lovely, Rep. Khan
An Act Relative to the Location of School Resource Officers, (HD.565)
Removes SROs from schools, locates them at the nearest police station, and tasks them with responding to school-based emergencies.
Sponsor: Sabadosa
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Promote Access to Mental Healthcare
Equitable Approaches to Public Health, S.1903/H.2519
Provides grant funding to cities and towns and partnering community-based organizations that want to create local crisis response models that would ensure that calls to 911 get the best response.
Sponsors: Sen. Mark, Rep. Sabadosa
An Act Establishing Peer Respite Centers Throughout the Commonwealth, S.1238/H.3602
Establishes a peer respite center in each county of the Commonwealth, with two specific LGBTQIA+
focused respite centers.
Sponsors: Sen. Comerford, Rep. Sabadosa, Rep. Pignatelli
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Provide Language Accessibility in Schools
An Act Relative to Language Access and Inclusion, S.1990/H.3084
Ensures that all state agencies offer interpretation services and translation of vital documents, as well as standardizing language access action plans and providing other services for non-English speaking residents.
Sponsors: Sen. DiDomenico, Rep. Madaro
An Act Relative to the Training, Assessment, and Assignment of Qualified School Interpreters in
Educational Settings, S.253 /H.437
Directs DESE to increase access to qualified school interpreters by developing a system for training,
assessing, and determining qualifications of interpreters in educational settings.
Sponsors: Sen. Crighton, Rep. Cabral
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Secure Equity in Insurance
An Act Relative to the Continuity of Care of Mental Health, (SD.657/HD.936)
Treatment would require that an insurer continue coverage of treatment through an out-of-network option for any insured who is engaged in a continuing course of treatment with a licensed mental health provider who was eligible for payment under the plan.
Sponsors: Sen. Keenan, Rep. Balser
An Act Requiring Mental Health Parity for Disability Policies, (SD.669/HD.940)
Prevents insurance companies from limiting disability benefits ONLY for those with behavioral health diagnoses.
Sponsors: Sen. Lovely, Rep. Balser
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Make Parole Equitable
An Act to Promote Equitable Access to Parole, (HD.2398/SD.1544)
Of note, expands Parole Board composition requirements to include at least 4 members with background in behavioral health, mental health, and substance abuse, as well as at least one formerly incarcerated person. Establishes clearer guidelines on parole hearings and standards for consideration of release, including increased transparency throughout the process. Requires at least three evaluations regarding necessary accommodation for those with disabilities prior to their hearing date.
An Act Establishing Presumptive Parole, (HD.1738)
Establishes the presumption of a positive parole grant at an individual’s first parole eligibility hearing, expands requirements for evaluations for those with disabilities, and affirms the responsibility for establishing a suitable release lies with the Parole Board.
Fact Sheet
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Fact Sheet
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