Bill > H143

This bill, known as the "State Use Act to Promote Employment for People with Disabilities," aims to encourage and assist individuals with disabilities to achieve maximum personal independence through useful and productive employment. The key provisions of the bill include: 1. Establishing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Council for Purchasing from Persons with Disabilities, which is responsible for determining suitable services provided by individuals with disabilities for sale to state agencies and local public bodies, verifying fair market prices, certifying eligible community rehabilitation programs and qualified individuals, and approving a central nonprofit agency to facilitate the distribution of orders and market approved services. 2. Requiring state agencies and local public bodies to procure services from the list published by the Council, exempting these procurements from the Procurement Code. 3. Allowing the Council and state agencies or local public bodies to enter into cooperative agreements for the effective coordination of the objectives of the State Use Act. 4. Enabling the Commonwealth to enter into contracts for supplies manufactured by and services performed by persons with disabilities without the requirement for competitive bidding, as long as individuals with disabilities make an appreciable contribution, and providing a mechanism for annual reviews and contract termination if the requirements are not met.

Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H143