HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3758        FILED ON: 1/26/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3681

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Timothy R. Whelan

_________________

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 establishing a low vision registry.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Timothy R. Whelan

1st Barnstable

1/26/2017

Julian Cyr

Cape and Islands

1/31/2017

Geoff Diehl

7th Plymouth

2/3/2017

Rady Mom

18th Middlesex

2/2/2017

Richard J. Ross

Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex

2/2/2017


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3758        FILED ON: 1/26/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3681

By Mr. Whelan of Brewster, a petition (subject to Joint Rule 12) of Timothy R. Whelan and others relative to establishing a low-vision registry and improving access to information for the Commonwealth Registry of the Blind.  Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 137 OF 2015-2016.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

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

_______________

 

An Act establishing a low vision registry.

 

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 6 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 135 the following section:-

Section 135A. The Commissioner shall create a registry list of persons whose visual acuity is found to be with correction 20/60 or less in the better eye, or the peripheral field of vision to have contracted to the ten degrees radius or less regardless of visual acuity. Said register shall be used to aid the commission in efforts to measure the numbers of likely future registrants to the Commonwealth Registry of the Blind.  Such persons shall not be eligible for services from the Commission until the standard of legal blindness is met.

The reporting requirements contained in section 136 of this chapter shall apply to this section.