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<div dir="ltr">Let your voice be heard regarding discrimination against legitimate service animals. <br>
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<div dir="ltr"><b>From:</b> "Carl Richardson via acblists.org" <carl=carl-richardson.com@acblists.org><br>
<b>Date:</b> November 13, 2025 at 9:09:53\u202fAM EST<br>
<b>To:</b> BSCB-L@acblists.org, Bsc Be Announced List <bscb-announce@acblists.org>, GDUM-L@acblists.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> <b>[BSCB-Announce] High Important: Hearing at State House on Service Animal Discrimination on November 18, your support needed</b><br>
<b>Reply-To:</b> carl@carl-richardson.com<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal">November 13, 2025<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Hello, All,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The bill is S.2714 An Act Studying Discrimination in Public Accommodation for Individuals with Service Animals.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Please share this announcement everywhere with your network.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you have any questions or need help registering, please call me directly at 617-877-1248 or email me at
<a href="mailto:carl@carl-richardson.com">carl@carl-richardson.com</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Link to register for hearing:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=a36UCyb_E0uuHFc8Z1DIiIN37bxj9q5Oicfsj8BRTJZUNTdVUU1ITTlaMlYyNEFaVUU3UTJDSU40Vy4u&route=shorturl" originalsrc="https://forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=a36UCyb_E0uuHFc8Z1DIiIN37bxj9q5Oicfsj8BRTJZUNTdVUU1ITTlaMlYyNEFaVUU3UTJDSU40Vy4u&route=shorturl"><span class="MsoSmartlink">JCCFPD- Tuesday,
November 18, 2025 Hearing Oral Testimony Sign-Up</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Test of bill below:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bill S.2714<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">SENATE DOCKET, NO. 3312 FILED ON: 10/21/2025<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2714<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Commonwealth of Massachusetts<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">_________________<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">PRESENTED BY:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Joan B. Lovely<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">_________________<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Court assembled:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">An Act studying discrimination in public accommodation for individuals with service animals.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">_______________<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">PETITION OF:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">table with 2 columns and 2 rows<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Name:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">District/Address:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Joan B. Lovely<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Second Essex<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">table end<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">SENATE DOCKET, NO. 3312 FILED ON: 10/21/2025<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2714<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">in public accommodation for individuals with service animals. Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The Commonwealth of Massachusetts<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">_______________<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(2025-2026)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">_______________<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">An Act studying discrimination in public accommodation for individuals with service animals.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">SECTION 1. There shall be a special legislative commission established pursuant to Section _ of chapter _ of the General Laws to study cases of denial<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">of rights and services of disabled persons with disabilities as well as cases that have resolved.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">SECTION 2. (a) The commission shall consist of: The chairs of the joint committee on children, families and persons with disabilities, who shall serve<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">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<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">governor, a representative of the Disability Law Center, a representative of the Disability Policy Consortium, a representative of the Massachusetts Statewide<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Independent Living Council, a representative of the Massachusetts Coalition of Families and Advocates, a representative from the Massachusetts Commission<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Against Discrimination, two advocates who are disabled with a service animal, and a representative of the Arc of Massachusetts. The commission shall meet<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">not less than 6 times and shall hold not less than 2 public hearings.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(b) The commission shall study and report on: (i) The volume of disability rights denial cases submitted to the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(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<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">effectiveness of the enforcement of disability rights in the Commonwealth within the last five years, and (iv) education of disability rights awareness.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(c) The commission shall submit a report with recommendations, including legislation or regulations necessary to carry out such recommendations, to the<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the joint committee on children, families, and persons with disabilities, and the senate and house<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">committees on ways and means not later than August 1, 2027.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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