[Massachusetts-NFB] Fwd: [BSCB-Announce] High Important: Hearing at State House on Service Animal Discrimination on November 18, your support needed

[Sandra Burgess]

Let your voice be heard regarding discrimination against legitimate service animals.


Begin forwarded message:

From: "Carl Richardson via acblists.org" <carl=carl-richardson.com at acblists.org>
Date: November 13, 2025 at 9:09:53 AM EST
To: BSCB-L at acblists.org, Bsc Be Announced List <bscb-announce at acblists.org>, GDUM-L at acblists.org
Subject: [BSCB-Announce] High Important: Hearing at State House on Service Animal Discrimination on November 18, your support needed
Reply-To: carl at carl-richardson.com


November 13, 2025
Hello, All,
I hope you are all well. I am writing you with extremely short notice to ask for your support to testify at a hearing on Tuesday, November 18 at 1:00 at the Massachusetts State House or virtually online.
The bill is S.2714 An Act Studying Discrimination in Public Accommodation for Individuals with Service Animals.
I have been working with Sen. Joan Lovely, Assistant Majority Leader, for the past several months on this, and yesterday it got assigned a hearing date. The bill has to do with creating a commission to examine the violation of civil rights to those with service animals.
As you can see from the text of the bill below, the commission would be designed to work with people with multiple disabilities to make suggestions how to change the laws so they can be more effective in protecting our civil rights. Below is a link to register for the hearing.
Note that sign-ups for oral virtual testimony will close on Friday, November 14, 2025, at 3PM, but same-day, in-person testimony will be accepted, time permitting. Please note, you will not be able to sign up for virtual testimony on the day of the hearing.
Please share this announcement everywhere with your network.
If you have any questions or need help registering, please call me directly at 617-877-1248 or email me at carl at carl-richardson.com<mailto:carl at carl-richardson.com>
Link to register for hearing:
JCCFPD- Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Hearing Oral Testimony Sign-Up<https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=a36UCyb_E0uuHFc8Z1DIiIN37bxj9q5Oicfsj8BRTJZUNTdVUU1ITTlaMlYyNEFaVUU3UTJDSU40Vy4u&route=shorturl>

Test of bill below:
Bill S.2714
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 3312        FILED ON: 10/21/2025
SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2714
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Joan B. Lovely
_________________
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 adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act studying discrimination in public accommodation for individuals with service animals.
_______________
PETITION OF:
table with 2 columns and 2 rows
Name:
District/Address:
Joan B. Lovely
Second Essex
table end
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 3312        FILED ON: 10/21/2025
SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2714
By Ms. Lovely, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 2714) (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Joan B. Lovely for legislation to study discrimination
in public accommodation for individuals with service animals. Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
An Act studying discrimination in public accommodation for individuals with service animals.
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. There shall be a special legislative commission established pursuant to Section _ of chapter _ of the General Laws to study cases of denial
of rights and services of disabled persons with disabilities as well as cases that have resolved.
SECTION 2. (a) The commission shall consist of: The chairs of the joint committee on children, families and persons with disabilities, who shall serve
as co-chairs; the executive director of the Massachusetts Office on Disability, the attorney general or a designee; three persons to be appointed by the
governor, a representative of the Disability Law Center, a representative of the Disability Policy Consortium, a representative of the Massachusetts Statewide
Independent Living Council, a representative of the Massachusetts Coalition of Families and Advocates, a representative from the Massachusetts Commission
Against Discrimination, two advocates who are disabled with a service animal, and a representative of the Arc of Massachusetts. The commission shall meet
not less than 6 times and shall hold not less than 2 public hearings.
(b) The commission shall study and report on: (i) The volume of disability rights denial cases submitted to the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination,
(ii) the volume of disability rights denial cases submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice and their impacts on the disability community, (iii) the
effectiveness of the enforcement of disability rights in the Commonwealth within the last five years, and (iv) education of disability rights awareness.
(c) The commission shall submit a report with recommendations, including legislation or regulations necessary to carry out such recommendations, to the
clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the joint committee on children, families, and persons with disabilities, and the senate and house
committees on ways and means not later than August 1, 2027.

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