HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3451        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2872

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Alice Hanlon Peisch

_________________

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 relative to dyslexia.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Alice Hanlon Peisch

14th Norfolk

1/20/2017

Shaunna L. O'Connell

3rd Bristol

 

Cory Atkins

14th Middlesex

 

Bruce J. Ayers

1st Norfolk

 

Tackey Chan

2nd Norfolk

 

RoseLee Vincent

16th Suffolk

 

James R. Miceli

19th Middlesex

 

Marjorie C. Decker

25th Middlesex

 

Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.

12th Hampden

 

James J. Dwyer

30th Middlesex

 

Todd M. Smola

1st Hampden

 

Kenneth I. Gordon

21st Middlesex

 

Jay R. Kaufman

15th Middlesex

 

Jennifer E. Benson

37th Middlesex

 

John F. Keenan

Norfolk and Plymouth

 

David K. Muradian, Jr.

9th Worcester

 

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

20th Middlesex

 

Shawn Dooley

9th Norfolk

 

Louis L. Kafka

8th Norfolk

 

Ryan C. Fattman

Worcester and Norfolk

 

James M. Cantwell

4th Plymouth

 

Solomon Goldstein-Rose

3rd Hampshire

 

Keiko M. Orrall

12th Bristol

 

Joan B.  Lovely

Second Essex

 

Patrick M. O'Connor

Plymouth and Norfolk

 

Thomas J. Calter

12th Plymouth

 

Brian Murray

10th Worcester

 

John W. Scibak

2nd Hampshire

 

James M. Murphy

4th Norfolk

 

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

 

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

 

Jonathan Hecht

29th Middlesex

 

Paul Brodeur

32nd Middlesex

 

Jack Lewis

7th Middlesex

 

Marc T. Lombardo

22nd Middlesex

 

John J. Lawn, Jr.

10th Middlesex

 

David M. Rogers

24th Middlesex

 

Hannah Kane

11th Worcester

 

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3451        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2872

By Ms. Peisch of Wellesley, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2872) of Alice Hanlon Peisch and others for legislation to develop screening procedures for students for dyslexia and other potential indicators of neurological learning disabilities.  Education.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

An Act relative to dyslexia.

 

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: Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 57 the following section:-

Section 57A. (a) For the purposes of this section, “Neurological Learning Disability” shall mean a specific learning disability including, but not limited to, dyslexia, that is neurological in origin with indicators that include, but not limited to, phonemic awareness, rapid automatized naming, and letter sound knowledge.  

(b) The department of elementary and secondary education shall issue guidelines for districts, subject to appropriation, to develop screening procedures or protocols for students for potential indicators of a neurological learning disability including, but not limited to, dyslexia.

SECTION 2:  Section 1 of Chapter 287 of the Acts of 2012 is hereby amended by inserting after the word “assessments”, in line 40, the following words:-- “, identification of reading disabilities including dyslexia”.

SECTION 3:  Said section 1 of said chapter 287 of the Acts of 2012 is hereby further amended by inserting after the word “development”, in line 51, the following:-- “; and (7) action steps to implement the research-based recommendations contained in reports written by experts in early language and literacy development with respect to reading disabilities including dyslexia; provided that, in developing its recommendations, the panel shall solicit input from at least one organization representing families of children with dyslexia”.