H 558

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4071  FILED ON: 1/17/2025
  HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 558
  The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  _________________
  PRESENTED BY:
  Carol A. Doherty
  _________________
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 to promote the inclusion of American Sign Language in the Commonwealth’s public
  schools, AKA The American Sign Language Inclusion Act.
  _______________
  PETITION OF:
NAME:  DISTRICT/ADDRESS:  DATE ADDED:
Carol A. Doherty  3rd Bristol  1/17/2025
Lindsay N. Sabadosa  1st Hampshire  1/17/2025
Dawne Shand  1st Essex  1/23/2025
David T. Vieira  3rd Barnstable  1/23/2025
Carmine Lawrence Gentile  13th Middlesex  1/23/2025
Steven George Xiarhos  5th Barnstable  1/23/2025
Paul McMurtry  11th Norfolk  1/23/2025
Jessica Ann Giannino  16th Suffolk  1/23/2025
Susannah M. Whipps  2nd Franklin  1/23/2025
Steven Owens  29th Middlesex  1/23/2025
David Paul Linsky  5th Middlesex  1/23/2025
James K. Hawkins  2nd Bristol  1/23/2025
Kristin E. Kassner  2nd Essex  1/23/2025
Dennis C. Gallagher  8th Plymouth  1/23/2025
Danillo A. Sena  37th Middlesex  2/3/2025
Natalie M. Higgins  4th Worcester  2/3/2025
Samantha Montaño  15th Suffolk  2/7/2025
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Jacob R. Oliveira   Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester   2/7/2025
Carlos González     10th Hampden  5/23/2025
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  HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4071  FILED ON: 1/17/2025
        HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 558
     By Representative Doherty of Taunton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 558) of
     Carol A. Doherty and others relative to courses in American Sign Language. Education.
  The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  _______________
  In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
  (2025-2026)
  _______________
     An Act to promote the inclusion of American Sign Language in the Commonwealth’s public
     schools, AKA The American Sign Language Inclusion Act.
  Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
     of the same, as follows:
 1  SECTION 1. Section 2B of Chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
 2   Official Edition is hereby amended by striking out the words, in line 4, “may be taught” and
 3   inserting in place thereof the following: “shall be taught in each of the Commonwealth’s
 4   secondary schools”
 5  SECTION 2. Section 2B of Chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
 6   Official Edition is hereby further amended by inserting, after the word “society” in line 8 the
 7   following:- “, as many children with autism have been able to learn and communicate
 8   successfully via sign language because it is visually based, unaided, and provides a mode of
 9   quick communication.”
10  SECTION 3. Section 2B of Chapter 71 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
11   Official Edition is hereby further amended by striking out the word, in line 8, “may” and
12   inserting in place thereof the following: “shall”.
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