More on Autism and Aversives
Here's the full letter about the new law against aversives they hope to pass in Massachusetts. - Sue
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One of the Massachusetts State Senators, Brian Joyce, has amended the state budget now working its way through the legislature.

The language, which is the same as the bill which died in committee earlier, is at the end of this email.

Here is what you and your group can do to encourage this:

Write emails to the following people who will serve on the Conference Committee which will iron out the differences between the House version (without the amendment) and the Senate version (with the amendment):

Senator Theresa Murray, Chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee
Therese.Murray@state.ma.us <mailto:therese.murray@state.ma.us>

Senator Steven Panageotakis
Steven.Panagiotakos@state.ma.us
<mailto:steven.panagiotakos@state.ma.us>

Senator Michael Knapik Michael.Knapik@state.ma.us
<mailto:michael.knapik@state.ma.us>

Representative Robert DeLeo, Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee
RDeleo@hwm.state.ma.us
<mailto:rdeleo@hwm.state.ma.us>

Representative Marie St. Fleur
Rep.MarieSt.Fleur@Hou.State.MA.US
<mailto:rep.mariest.fleur@hou.state.ma.us>

Representative Viriato deMacedo
Rep.VinnydeMacedo@Hou.State.MA.US
<mailto:rep.vinnydemacedo@hou.state.ma.us>

Encourage them to support the amendment. If your members are citizens of Massachusetts, encourage them to write to their own Senators and Representatives, asking them to speak to the Chairs of the Ways and Means Committees encouraging support of this amendment.

Below is the text. Thank you for your help on this.
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EHS 765
HOME AND COMMUNITY BASED SERVICES

Section 16 of Chapter 6A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2000 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding at the end thereof the following text:

"Disabled citizens, as all other citizens of the Commonwealth, are entitled to equal protection under Article CXIV of the Massachusetts Constitution, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicap, and the full protection of the laws of the Commonwealth, which prohibit the use of corporal punishment on school children and prisoners. No program funded, operated, licensed, or approved by any agency or subdivision of the Commonwealth shall administer to any person with a physical or mental 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 or mental disability adequate sleep, food, shelter, bedding or bathroom facilities."