Back to Massachusetts

H287 • 2025

An Act relative to studying best practices for ensuring the safety of blind persons

An Act relative to studying best practices for ensuring the safety of blind persons

Children
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Alyson M. Sullivan-Almeida
Last action
2025-12-29
Official status
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act relative to studying best practices for ensuring the safety of blind persons

An Act relative to studying best practices for ensuring the safety of blind persons By Representative Sullivan-Almeida of Abington, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to studying best practices for ensuring the safety of blind persons By Representative Sullivan-Almeida of Abington, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 287) of Alyson M.
  • Sullivan-Almeida for legislation to establish a special commission to study and determine best practices to ensure the safety of blind persons.
  • Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-12-29 House

    Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means

  2. 2025-08-27 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 09/09/2025 from 1:00 PM-5:00 PM in B-2

  3. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities

  4. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to studying best practices for ensuring the safety of blind persons
By Representative Sullivan-Almeida of Abington, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 287) of Alyson M. Sullivan-Almeida for legislation to establish a special commission to study and determine best practices to ensure the safety of blind persons. Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
×

Bill H.287

(a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, there shall be a special commission established to study and determine best practices to ensure the safety of blind persons in public walkways and intersections. The commission, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind, shall be tasked with, but not be limited to, reviewing the following: existing roadway and traffic policies aimed at ensuring the safety of the blind and visually impaired; current use of accessible pedestrian signals; and new technology available to improve upon the safety of blind and visually impaired persons, particularly in cities and highly congested areas.

(b) The commission shall consist of 9 members: the commissioner of the Massachusetts commission for the blind, or a designee; the chief executive officer of the Massachusetts department of transportation, or a designee; the commissioner of the department of conservation and recreation, or a designee; the executive director of the disability law center, or a designee; the secretary of the executive office of public safety and security, or a designee, and four people to be appointed by the governor, two of whom must be advocates for the blind and visually 3 of 3

impaired community, and two of whom must be experts in roadway safety and accessibility technology.

(c) The commission shall file its report and findings, along with any recommendations for legislation or executive action, with the secretary of administration and finance, and the chairs of committees as appropriate in light of the recommendations, which may include but shall not be limited to the joint committee on children, families, and persons with disabilities, the joint committee on transportation, the joint committee on public safety and homeland security, the chair of the senate and house committees on bonding, capital expenditures and state assets, and the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives within 1 year of the passage of this act.

The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The General Court provides this information as a public service and while we endeavor to keep the data accurate and current to the best of our ability, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

Close