Senate 1948
Senate No. 1948: ”An Act Relative to the Transportation of Individuals Seated in Wheelchairs”
On January 13, 2009,
Senator Marc Pacheco filed Senate No. 1948: ”An Act Relative to the Transportation of Individuals Seated in Wheelchairs”.
Senator Joan Menard co-signed Senate No. 1948.
Senator Pacheco filed this legislation after he discovered there is NO LAW in the State of Massachusetts regarding the safety of wheelchair-seated passengers.
You can read the entire written language of Senate No. 1948 at: http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/senate/186/st01/st01948.htm .
Dr. Lawrence W. Schneider, Director, University of Michigan’s RERC WTS (Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wheelchair Transportation Safety) provided his expert advice for this needed legislation.
- This Massachusetts Legislation requires wheelchair-seated passengers in any motor vehicle offering paratransit services to be forward-facing and secured with properly installed and maintained wheelchair tiedown and occupant restraint system (WTORS) that complies with Society of Automotive Engineers Recommended Practice J2249.
- It further requires any employee or volunteer who transports or aids in the transportation of a wheelchair-seated passenger will complete the training course offered by the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and/or the Executive Office of Transportation prior to operation of, or assisting in, a paratransit vehicle transporting persons in wheelchairs. Training of drivers is critical to safe transportation for wheelchair-seated passengers.
- Wheelchair tie downs are needed to secure the wheelchair in the vehicle which would “achieve equivalency with people traveling seated in the vehicle seats that are fastened to the vehicle floor” and the use of occupant restraint system (i.e. seat and shoulder safety belt) would provide equal protection for passengers traveling in wheelchairs.
Passage of this legislation in the state of Massachusetts would be a very positive step toward improving transportation SAFETY for wheelchair-seated travelers!!
Update: October 2009
Both bills were moved to The Joint Committee on Transportation. On October 6, 2009, I presented oral testimony to the Joint Committee on Transportation at the
State House Hearing for H 3785 and S 1948 ‘An Act Relative to the Transportation of Individuals Seated in Wheelchairs.
Dr. Lawrence W. Schneider, Director of University of Michigan’s RERC WTS, Senators, Representatives and Advocates including The ARC of Massachusetts, Disability Policy Consortium and MANHR - Massachusetts Advocates for Nursing Home Reform submitted written testimony in SUPPORT of this needed legislation.
You can read Dr. Schneider’s expert testimony of strong support submitted October 5, 2009 by clicking on Dr. Lawrence W. Schneider written testimony of support for S.1948 ad H.3785.
Update: February 2010
Representative Stephen Canessa and Senator Mark Pacheco recently told me some wonderful news. Both bills; House 3785 and Senate 1948 have been reported FAVORABLY out of the Transportation Committee and have been referred to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and the House Ways and Means for further review. If either the Senate or the House Ways and Means Committee favorably move either bill forward, it will next move to either the full Senate or the full House for approval.
How You Can Help!
If you are a resident of Massachusetts, PLEASE contact your State Senator to ask for their support of Senate No. 1948: “An Act relative to the transportation of individuals seated in wheelchairs”. You can locate the contact information for your State Senator at http://www.mass.gov/legis/.
If you are not a resident of Massachusetts, PLEASE contact your State Legislators and ask that they file a similar bill in your state. Currently, ONLY the State of NJ has a law ensuring the safety of wheelchair-seated passengers. Your State Legislators contact information can be found on your State’s Government website. All our States Government websites can be found at http://www.loc.gov/rr/news/stategov/stategov.html .
FIVE STARS AND A HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO SENATOR MARC PACHECO, CHARLES BASLER, DIRECTOR OF CONSTITUENT SERVICES, SENATOR JOAN MENARD, TONY SOUSA, LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR AND TO ALL STATE SENATORS WHO SUPPORT THIS IMPORTANT MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATION!!
Sincerely,
Kenny & Company
