Bill
S 1227
Establishes a constitutional right to bodily autonomy, bans coercion into health interventions by any entity, and provides civil remedies with emergency effect.
Title in bill text: "An Act relative to bodily autonomy and family integrity"
Status: Committed to Rules (as of 2025-06-13)
Introduced: 2025-01-16 (filed); read/referred April 1, 2025
Committee activity/hearing: hearing(s) scheduled for 06/10/2025; advanced/ amended as S1227A in March–June 2025
Note on source material: the submitted metadata contains inconsistent items (an unrelated energy‑study title and a list of federal senators). This summary follows the Massachusetts bill text filed by Senator Patrick M. O’Connor (S.D. 1429 / S.1227) — which would add Section 183A to Chapter 111 of the Massachusetts General Laws.
Purpose and intent
- Establish a constitutionally framed, statutory “fundamental right” to bodily autonomy and self‑determination in health decisions for adults and minor children.
- Prohibit coercion to accept any “health‑related intervention” by public or private entities, and create private civil remedies for violations.
- Make the act an emergency law so it takes immediate effect upon enactment.
Key definitions (selected)
- “Coercion”: intimidation or pressure intended to compel an act against a person’s will; includes conditioning employment, education, daycare, travel, religion, hobbies, entertainment, or sports on acceptance of an intervention.
- “Health‑related intervention”: broadly defined to include medical treatments/procedures, testing, vaccinations/immunizations, genetic procedures, experimental protocols, specimen collection, participation in tracking/tracing, mask‑wearing, physical distancing, involuntary sharing of personal data, etc.
- “Genetic procedure”: any therapy or procedure intended to add/remove/alter/activate/change DNA or replace/bypass normal DNA function.
Major substantive provisions
- Subdivision (b): Declares a fundamental right to bodily autonomy and self‑determination for individuals and their minor children.
- Subdivision (c): Prohibits any person or entity (public or private) from mandating, requiring, or coercing a person to accept any health‑related intervention, “regardless of any other state or federal laws or orders or emergency.”
- Subdivision (d–e): Authorizes civil actions for violations, including:
- Injunctive relief;
- Compensatory damages, punitive damages for willful violations;
- A cause of action under 42 U.S.C. §1983 for willful violations;
- Employment remedies: reinstatement/admission with back pay plus 10% interest;
- Court‑ordered award of costs and reasonable attorneys’ fees to prevailing plaintiffs.
- Subdivision (f) — Exceptions: does not preclude:
- Drug or alcohol testing;
- A health intervention that is a bona fide occupational requirement (explicitly excludes any vaccination, immunization, or gene therapy from this exception);
- Medical testing required for vehicle licensing;
- Health interventions allowed under Section 12 of Chapter 123 (psychiatric evaluation/admission).
Who would be affected
- Individuals and parents making medical decisions for minor children.
- Employers, schools, daycare centers, public agencies, hospitals, and private businesses that might currently or in future impose health requirements (vaccines, tests, masking, distancing, etc.).
- Public health authorities and emergency response officials, insofar as the bill purports to operate “regardless” of other laws or emergencies.
Potential impacts and considerations
- Broadly limits institutional authority to require vaccinations, testing, masking, genetic therapies, and other interventions, subject to the bill’s exceptions.
- Could substantially increase litigation risk for employers, schools, healthcare providers, and government entities — with statutory damages, punitive damages for willfulness, and fee shifting.
- May create tension or conflict with existing federal and state public‑health statutes, employer safety laws (e.g., OSHA), and court precedents — likely to prompt legal challenges if enacted.
- Emergency clause means immediate legal effect upon enactment, heightening short‑term operational impacts for institutions.
Next procedural steps
- As of 2025-06-13: Committed to Rules. Further action would include placement on a calendar for final passage, potential floor votes, and, if enacted, the governor’s signature for immediate effect.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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