SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1022        FILED ON: 2/9/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 262

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Paul R. Feeney

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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 safety and health at athletic recreation facilities.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1022        FILED ON: 2/9/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 262

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 203 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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An Act relative to safety and health at athletic recreation facilities.

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 140 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 207. (a) For the purposes of this section, “athletic recreation facility” shall mean a commercial, community, or corporate recreation facility that hosts activity-based health and fitness programs or that promotes recreational physical activity. Semipublic athletic recreation facility shall also mean a facility constructed and maintained by groups for the purposes of providing athletic recreation facilities for members and guests only. (b) Every owner or manager of a public and semipublic athletic recreation facility shall post a written medical emergency response plan. Every owner or manager of a public and semipublic athletic recreation facility shall practice the response sequence with all employees annually in January.  Every owner or manager of a public and semipublic athletic recreation facility shall review the response sequence with local fire and police officials at least 1 time each calendar year. Each plan shall include: (1) a method for establishing a rapid communication system linking all parts of the athletic recreation facility, including outdoor facilities and practice fields, to the emergency medical services system and protocols to clarify when the emergency medical services system and other emergency contact people shall be called; (2) a determination of emergency medical service response time to any location on the grounds; (3) a list of relevant contacts and telephone numbers with a protocol indicating when each person shall be called, including names of professionals to help with post-emergency support; (4) a method to efficiently direct emergency medical services personnel to any location on the grounds, including to the location of available rescue equipment; (5) a method of providing access to training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid for all staff, which may include training high school students in cardiopulmonary resuscitation; and (6) in the event the athletic recreation facility possesses an automated external defibrillator, the location of the device, whether or not its location is either fixed or portable and those personnel who are trained in its use.   (c) Every public and semipublic athletic recreation facility shall provide a working landline telephone as part of the rapid communication system linking all parts of the athletic recreation facility, including outdoor facilities and practice fields, to the emergency medical services system. (d)  Any owner or manager of such public or semipublic athletic recreation facility, who fails to comply with the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars.

SECTION 2. Subsection (d) of section 207 of chapter 140 of the General Laws, inserted by section 1 of this act shall apply to every public and semipublic athletic recreation facility constructed on or after the effective date of this act.

SECTION 3. Said subsection (d) of said section 207 of said chapter 140 shall apply to every public and semipublic athletic recreation facility that existed before the effective date of this act, 1 year after the effective date of this act.