Bill
H 1981
Establishes a right to wear PPE (masks, gloves, gowns) and bans discrimination or penalties by employers, services, or landlords; allows brief PPE removal for security/ID checks.
Overview
- Purpose: Establish a legal right to wear personal protective medical equipment (PPE) and prohibit discrimination against individuals who wear PPE. The bill aims to protect individuals from penalties or adverse actions for wearing PPE such as masks, gloves, gowns, and other protective gear.
- Sponsor: Representative Lindsay N. Sabadosa (with several co-petitioners).
- Introduced: February 27, 2025.
- Current status: Referred to the Judiciary Committee. Legislative actions show ongoing hearings, with a current hearing reschedule to November 25, 2025 (A-2 and via virtual platform). The hearing date has been adjusted multiple times.
Key Provisions
- Section 1 – Definitions
- Defines “Protective medical equipment” as gear worn to minimize health risks, including: face masks, respirators, gloves, face shields, protective eyewear, and gowns.
- Section 2 – Discrimination Prohibition
- (a) Prohibits discrimination or penalties against individuals for wearing necessary PPE.
- (b) Examples of discrimination include denial of service, eviction from premises, termination of employment, or undue pressure to refrain from wearing PPE.
- Section 3 – Security and Identification Exceptions
- Allows momentary removal of PPE at security checkpoints and at the request of law enforcement for identification purposes.
What Would Be Affected
- Individuals who wear PPE for health or safety reasons (e.g., workers, patients, customers, students, the general public) would have legal protection against discrimination for wearing PPE.
- Service providers, employers, landlords, and other entities would be constrained from penalizing or disadvantageing someone for PPE use.
- Security personnel and law enforcement would have a defined exception allowing brief PPE removal for identification.
Procedural and Timeline Aspects
- Referral and hearings: The bill was referred to The Judiciary Committee on February 27, 2025. The hearing date has been rescheduled multiple times, most recently to November 25, 2025 (A-2) with a new end time noted for the virtual hearing.
- Related actions: Senate concurrence occurred on February 27, 2025, indicating movement between chambers at that time. Related bill reference: HD 2968 (listed as a related bill that may replace or supersede this version).
- No enacted effective date is provided in the text; if enacted, the protections would apply upon the bill’s effective date as enacted by the General Court.
Notes and Context
- The bill frames PPE-related protections as civil-rights-like protections against discrimination, extending to various contexts such as work, services, and housing.
- The security checkpoint exception aligns with standard practice for identification while balancing PPE usage.
Related Bills
- Related Bill: HD 2968 (replaces) – indicates a parallel or successor track in the Legislature.
This summary provides a concise, nonpartisan view of H.1981, focusing on what the bill would do, who it affects, and its current legislative status and timeline.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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