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Bill

S 2714

Establishes the metropolitan transportation authority control board

2025 Regular Session Introduced by George Borrello and 10 co-sponsors

Creates a special legislative commission to study and address discrimination against people with disabilities who use service animals in public accommodations, with recommendations

REFERRED TO TRANSPORTATION
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Bill Summary · S 2714

Summary — S 2714 (as submitted Oct 21, 2025)

Title in packet: “An Act studying discrimination in public accommodation for individuals with service animals.”

Purpose

Create a special legislative commission to study instances in which people with disabilities who use service animals have been denied rights or services in public accommodations, evaluate enforcement and education efforts, and recommend legislation or regulations to address identified problems.

Key provisions

  • Establishes a special legislative commission (membership and operation):
    • Co‑chairs: chairs of the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities.
    • Statutory members include: Executive Director of the Massachusetts Office on Disability; the Attorney General or designee; three gubernatorial appointees; representatives from the Disability Law Center, Disability Policy Consortium, Massachusetts Statewide Independent Living Council, Massachusetts Coalition of Families and Advocates, Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD), The Arc of Massachusetts; two disabled advocates who use service animals.
    • Commission must meet at least six times and hold at least two public hearings.
  • Scope of study (at minimum):
    • Volume of disability‑rights denial complaints filed with MCAD.
    • Volume of related complaints submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice and their impacts on the disability community.
    • Effectiveness of disability‑rights enforcement in the Commonwealth over the past five years.
    • State of public education and awareness about disability rights related to service animals.
  • Reporting requirement:
    • Commission must submit a report with findings and recommendations (including proposed legislation or regulations where appropriate) to the clerks of both houses, the Joint Committee on Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities, and the House and Senate Ways and Means Committees by August 1, 2027.

Who would be affected

  • People with disabilities who use service animals, plus disability advocates and service‑animal handlers.
  • State enforcement bodies (MCAD, Attorney General), disability policy organizations, public accommodations (businesses, transit, etc.), and agencies involved in disability services and outreach.

Timeline & procedure

  • Introduced: 9/4/2025. Referred to committee(s); a public hearing was scheduled for 11/18/2025 (per provided actions).
  • Final commission report due: August 1, 2027.

Potential impact

  • Could identify gaps in enforcement, data collection, public awareness, and training; lead to legislation, regulatory changes, or administrative practices improving access and reducing discrimination against people using service animals.
  • Resource needs: staffing and support for the commission and implementation of recommendations if adopted.

Note on document inconsistencies

The packet contains multiple, conflicting items (an earlier S.2714 text from 2023 regarding a local zoning overlay, a header referencing a metropolitan transportation authority control board, mixed sponsor lists, and legislative action dates that appear unrelated). This summary reflects the 10/21/2025 commission bill text focused on service‑animal discrimination. Verify the official bill text and current legislative status with the Massachusetts Legislature for authoritative details.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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