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S2565 • 2025

An Act facilitating better interactions between police officers and persons with autism spectrum disorder

An Act facilitating better interactions between police officers and persons with autism spectrum disorder

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Last action
2026-06-25
Official status
Signed by the Governor, Chapter 112 of the Acts of 2026
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 facilitating better interactions between police officers and persons with autism spectrum disorder

An Act facilitating better interactions between police officers and persons with autism spectrum disorder Senate, July 24, 2025 -- Text of the Senate Bill facilitating better interactions between police officers and persons with autism spectrum disorder (Senate, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act facilitating better interactions between police officers and persons with autism spectrum disorder Senate, July 24, 2025 -- Text of the Senate Bill facilitating better interactions between police officers and persons with autism spectrum disorder (Senate, No.
  • 2565) (being the text of Senate No.
  • 2558, printed as amended)

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. 2026-06-25 Executive

    Signed by the Governor, Chapter 112 of the Acts of 2026

  2. 2026-06-15 House

    Enacted

  3. 2026-06-15 Senate

    Enacted and laid before the Governor

  4. 2026-06-11 Senate

    Rules suspended

  5. 2026-06-11 Senate

    Senate concurred in the House amendment

  6. 2026-05-20 House

    Committee recommended ought to pass with an amendment, striking out all after the enacting clause and inserting the text of H5438 , and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling

  7. 2026-05-20 House

    Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting with the amendment pending

  8. 2026-05-20 House

    Rules suspended

  9. 2026-05-20 House

    Read second, amended (as recommended by the committee on House Ways and Means)

  10. 2026-05-20 House

    Ordered to a third reading

  11. 2026-05-20 House

    Rules suspended

  12. 2026-05-20 House

    Read third

  13. 2026-05-20 House

    Passed to be engrossed - 156 YEAS to 0 NAYS ( See YEA and NAY No. 197 )

  14. 2025-07-28 House

    Read; and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means

  15. 2025-07-24 Senate

    Text of S2558 , reprinted as amended

  16. 2025-07-24 Senate

    Passed to be engrossed -- see Roll Call #65 (Yeas 39 to Yeas 0)

Official Summary Text

An Act facilitating better interactions between police officers and persons with autism spectrum disorder
Senate, July 24, 2025 -- Text of the Senate Bill facilitating better interactions between police officers and persons with autism spectrum disorder (Senate, No. 2565) (being the text of Senate No. 2558, printed as amended)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
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Bill S.2565

SECTION 1. Section 116I of chapter 6 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-

Not less than every 5 years, the municipal police training committee shall develop and establish within its specialized training curriculum available to all law enforcement officers instruction on the blue envelope program established in section 56A of chapter 6C.

SECTION 2. Chapter 6C of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 56 the following section:-

Section 56A. (a) The department of state police, in consultation with the registrar of motor vehicles, the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association Incorporated and Advocates for Autism of Massachusetts or any other organization that advocates for persons with autism spectrum disorder, shall design blue envelopes that:

(i) provide written information and guidance on the outside of the envelope regarding ways to enhance effective communication between a police officer and a person with autism spectrum disorder;

(ii) include instructions for ease of access to the envelope, including, but not limited to, attaching the envelope to the sun visor on the driver’s side of the vehicle; and

(iii) can hold a person’s motor vehicle operator’s license and registration.

(b) The registrar of motor vehicles shall make available, upon request, the blue envelopes to any person with autism spectrum disorder or such person’s parent or guardian.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

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