2023-06-13 00:00:00 - Joint Committee on Transportation
2023-06-13 00:00:00 - Joint Committee on Transportation
SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Hi, everyone. I'd like to walk you into4 the joint committee on transportation, public hearing. Today, we're going to be hearing testimony of those pertaining to licenses, identification, and deviation. here. As you can see, you've taken place in a hybrid format. Meaning, on their testimony for both of those, we're able to make it in person close to those joining us online. Just wanted to go over a few logistics before we get started by going to check over with my cochair You should have any remarks. Mhmm. Respect from the action, but there's so many people here.
I'm expecting to ask if I decided to limit it. I think it's just testimony for 2, 3 minutes. It's
add to
add to the folks that53 are probably just catching up. I'm just going for someone55 to just 6 of the hearing hearing, respectively, gives us long list of long list of those. -- signed up to us by asking you to keep your comments 3 minutes. And then and certainly I mean, everyone's welcome. I'm too seriously. testimony committee which we will carefully review.
SPEAKER2 - As a as
SPEAKER1 - a customer recognized recognized like an official term. -- out of turn with, like -- I would like to just simply time brief recognized recognize those with us. In attendance today?82 Yeah. Yeah. Michael Chair. Michael Chair. Representative Phil Strouse. Of course. Representative. Representative.
see how it see how it and representing representative play. Additionally, joining us joining
SPEAKER3 - us remotely.
SPEAKER1 - remotely representing a representative of the cost, representative representative. Oakley Oakley -- Representative. -- and and I
SPEAKER3 - think that is it. That is it that is it that is
SPEAKER1 - it that is members arrive to
arrive. certainty certain clay and
SPEAKER3 - ice cream. there. here. As I mentioned, we -- As I mentioned, we testimony.
SPEAKER1 - -- we submitted submitted
SPEAKER3 - today
SPEAKER1 - at the hearings of the hearings, but also to staff. Emails emails. Again, again, we look forward to hearing from hearing from everyone today or today.
SPEAKER3 - With that with that, I will Exactly. My cochair is good. Here's good. So with respect to respect to everyone's time.
SPEAKER1 - Trevor is always121 hard121 to use. You're a person that you're
That's why? Representative Mona.
REP VITOLO - SB 3468 - Good morning. I'm representative Tommy Vitolo from Brookline and I’m delighted to report the green line was on time and full today. I ask people to move in and refresh with staff. I want to thank Chair Crighton, chair Straus, members of the committee form the south from the west from the north and from the Internet. Thank you. Thank you for being here today. I join you to express my support H.3468, An Act relative to out of state operator’s motor vehicle license applications. Currently, applications for Massachusetts Motor Vehicle licenses, or registered licensed in other states,180 can180 obtain their license without demonstrating any knowledge of our motor vehicle laws. This means they are a group of licensed drivers who never had to demonstrate that they know how to park. They know how193 the motorists work.
They know what the Massachusetts policy on right, on red or even on left on red in case of one way streets that they know about our lower speed limits. That they know about power bicycle infrastructure including turn boxes, floating parking lanes, and so forth or even they know about using breakdown lane on same highway on sometime s of the day for travel. These things concern me and it seems to me that the way to manage all these is to go by H.3468. to require that applicants for a Massachusetts Motor vehicle license must pass the written examinations and driving test before receiving a license in Massachusetts. If we pass H.3468, we can increase safety in our roads by ensurint that more drivers know the rules of the roads. And so I respectfully request that your report h.3468 out favorably. Thank you for taking me out of turn. I’m happy to answer any question or engage in any dialogue.
SPEAKER4 - Thank you for presenters for your appreciation. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER4 - testimony and advocacy is always
SPEAKER1 - by any questions from members
SPEAKER3 - of the committee. It's like he's like such a such a great job. Thank you. You know where to
SPEAKER1 - find me. Take care. Thank you. Next next
like minded to recognize senator general Joe Lovely. When
SPEAKER8 - when you can drink drinks? So we'll be sent in open stairs starting. You go SPEAKER3 - go add add icon. Click it on. Turn turn
SPEAKER7 - you should
SEN LOVELY - HB 358 - Thank you for your time. Mr. Chairman members of the committee. I am here to testify in support of house number 358, An Act relative to airplane noise data collection and Good Neighbor Policy, filed by a member and my great house colleague representative Sally Kerans. Currently, there's no source of airplane noise in the air of data at airports. Within the past four years, there's a significant increase of airport traffic in and out of Beverly Region airport in my district. Many of the flights are training for new pilots who are required to complete a certain number off flying hours to obtain their pilot licenses. These training sessions include touch and go operations which can be very disruptive to the quality of life and neighborhoods surrounding the airport runway, including Beverly and Danvers.
H.358, would require the mass aeronautics division to collect annually post noise reports and complaints made to the municipal or regional airports so Beverly airport as a noise compliant policy where neighbors can actually go online and lodge a noise complaint. And there are many of them. The data collected would be extended to touch and go operations and would be publicly available on the mass aeronautics website. H.358, would track and facilitate mitigation efforts to reduce airplane nose and communities within regional airports Beverly does have a good neighbor policy, however, It is not enforced all the time, so we’re hoping to be able to collect this data and be able to work with the airport all in the regional airports. We have to come up with a good neighbor policy to be able to relieve a lot of noise disruption to the neighbors. I look to the committee’s favorable recommendation. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you. Thank you, love. We appreciate your testimony. voting. questions from members of the committee? You know what I'm saying? Thank you
SPEAKER7 - again. Thank you for taking out of turn.
SPEAKER1 - I'd like to -- I'd like to just recognize also joining a valid person, whoever the committee representative of Sally Cairns
SPEAKER6 - as well.
SPEAKER1 - We're going to jump jump into our our testimony on the side, but we wrote the hearing to hearing that percentage may arrive and continue to take the monitor turn. like to Welcome. Welcome up. Maurice Sallow. You're going to test the test 5. It's 30 359.
Welcome, Marie Marie.
MARIA ZULU - CONCERNED CITIZEN - HB 359 - SB 2204 - Thank you. Chairs and senator Crighton, representative Straus, committee members. Good morning. Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today. I’m Maria Zulu, a Norfolk resident and a proud mother of Dominic who has autism. I’m here to testify on the blue envelop bill, an act facilitating better interactions between police officers and persons with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD. Car accidents and traffic stops are alarming for any driver. For drivers with ASD they may cause emotional and behavioral dysregulation. Handing an officer, a blue envelop instead of looking for necessary documents will give drivers with ASD chance to calm themselves and better be able to communicate. Evert parent worries when their child starts driving.
For my husband and I, there worries are intensified by or sons ASD. Dominic is unsafe. You may put himself, hit himself, space521 her521 on his head and make dramatic, even threatening statements. This behavior may make Dominic appear to be a danger to himself or others. He is simply sacred in having trouble processing. Our greatest fear is that in one of these moments, Dominic will be misunderstood. He could be arrested, hospitalized or even worse. Last June, Dominic was near ended in an accident that was not his fault. He paces toward the highway traffic, his voice getting louder and become to this regulated. Fortunately, my husband was with my son and able to keep him safe though he was having trouble calming him.
My husband told the reporting officer, Trooper John Mendik, that my son has ASD. Trooper Mendik spoke to our son quietly and slowly. This gave Don time to calm himself and process Trooper Mendik assured, Dominic that he had done nothing wrong and578 everything578 was okay. Had he580 been alone or had Trooper Mendik lack understanding of our son’s behavior,584 things could have gone very wrong.586 Each year, people with ASD Suffer psychological or physical injury, even death as a result of being misunderstood during a moment of crisis. The blue envelop bill seem small compared to other bills before you today for drivers with ASD and the people who love them. It is not like605 driver said, car insurance or maintenance. It is one more measure we can take to ensure our loved ones are safe on the road. Thank you. To your attention to important legislation. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you. Thank you. We really really appreciate you sharing her personal story. You're happy to see her son. but also from problems of ASD. Certain certainly. Bill will build fall. -- by any means, we will be giving it to our careful careful situation.
SPEAKER13 - Any any
SPEAKER1 - questions, member of the committee here or or online?
SPEAKER13 - If you're online, if you
SPEAKER1 - don't mind just raising and so I can't see it here.
Seeing no question. Thank you so much. I can take the time.
SPEAKER7 - Thanks for this opportunity. Okay.
SPEAKER1 - Next, I'd like to welcome Morris Sullivan. The Art of Massachusetts support of house 3359 as What what Mark?
MAURA SULLIVAN - THE ARC OF MASSACHUSETTS - HB 359 - SB 2204 - Good morning. Morning chair Crighton, chair Straus and members if the joint committee. It's wonderful666 to see you in person, and thank you and thank you for this opportunity to share my testimony in support of the envelope bill H.359 S.2204. My name for the record is Maura Sullivan. I am the director of the government affairs and policy for the Arc of Massachusetts. And I also I also represent advocate for autism. I'm also here692 as a mother of two young adults with autism. Advocating for adult autistic community is my job.
I am fiercely dedicated to ensuring services and support that allow people with autism to live their most in depend and safe lives. The Arc has prioritized the blue envelope as needed and intervention to avoid serious, traumatic and dangerous episodes between autistic people and the police. The blue envelope allows individuals and autism to provide critical information to the police during a traffic stop or an accident. It provides training for the officers to be cognizant of737 the accommodations needed, and739 will help avoid those tragic741 situations happening here in Massachusetts. Although my son will be driver, I know the feeling of deep worry.
That a parent has when they are not there to help explain and protect their autistic loved one. And as you may know, the arc and advocates for autism championed a police training bill that passed in 2021. This bill mandates training in our police academies, but much more specific on autistic drivers is needed specifically for veteran police who were on the ground and we must put power into the hands of eh individual with autism. The blue envelope does that. So thank you for your time and considerations. Always an honor to come before you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - you, Bob. We appreciate your testimony. testimony and testimony. happen. The Arctic Massachusetts. Any questions for members? Mitty.
See now, Cena, thank you, Gavin, for taking the time to commend you.
SPEAKER14 - Of course. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER1 - a next813 -- A next light to -- light to welcome Tom Tom Cronin tested test by post bill 30296. 26,819 and it's sent in 2281.
Welcome, Tom. Tom. You joining us?
SPEAKER3 - Good morning. Good morning. Good morning.
THOMAS CRONIN - MASSACHUSETTS SELECTIVE SERVICE - SB 2281 - HB 3296 - Good morning. Chairs Crighton and Straus and vice chairs Mark and Murray. The members of the joint venture committee on transportation. My name is Tom Cronin. I'm the Massachusetts state director for the United States Selective Service System. The agency is currently in a standby. My primary responsivities are outreach to the community representatives and state and local officials, oversight of local board member recruitment and training throughout the state with currently over 135 volunteer in all counties. Helping mange three military reservist assigned to the selective service system and training.
Should the president and the congress request selective service mobilizer I am responsible for managing randomized national young men of ages 18 to 25 Massachusetts. The operation below the local district appeal throughout the state. And planning for the alternative service employment for country, entry, injectors, until the immediate national service obligation. In supporting the case between the governor directly to the service. Registration is required by federal law in the specific value of all young man. As a bay stator, I'm sharing with you that Massachusetts is only one of the 10 states that does not have driver's license legislation. Referring to a DLL.
DLL offers an opportunity to register921 for a service. DLL helps ensure that with925 our rent read timely, and void penalty associated with noncompliance. Stage automatic DLL, levering the 100% compliance rate. Thereby, securing a lifetime associated benefit for young men and families. But in calendar year 2022, unfortunately, only 16.6% of Massachusetts who are 18 years old had registered to selective service. Why is this register important to our males? Massachusetts man who fail to register lose as money, manage loan, grant, and other financial aid. Federal general job offer job driving opportunities. To solve this employment of the United States Postal Service.
33 other states also require selective service registration to work for the state's local governments. Meaning, that failing to register in Massachusetts and in fact a family even if they move from Massachusetts to other states. Immigrants who fail to registers nay face up to986 a five year delay in obtaining citizenship.988 And permanently of the benefits linked to registration. On a personal note, I have a debit in place and a straight Commonwealth. I apply for your support in on behalf selective service and help make registration easier, very young Massachusetts males. Thank SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
you for the opportunity to testify.
SPEAKER3 - you for
SPEAKER2 - your help. Thank you for your help. the opportunity to testify.
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Peggy, for your shift in testimony and taking the time1013 to come in here for the hearing today. Any1015 questions for members of the committee?
See you now. See you on on the line. Thank you. Thank you again. She appreciate this morning.
PSU issues around around the stream streaming of this hearing. I just want to make sure this is resolved higher. So -- Motion motion in the mood. -- presets. 3 sets. 3 sets. Thank you.
SPEAKER3 - I
SPEAKER7 - to talk to this.
SPEAKER1 - I'd like to welcome you know, I'm going to butcher this, John. I'm sorry. John Magna Relli.
to testify here on1062 house 3296 and senate 2281. Welcome, John. Was I close Perfect. Alright. Beautiful. It sounded out
JOHN MAGNARELLI - CONCERNED CITIZEN - SB 2281 - HB 3296 - John Magnarelli, lifelong resident of Massachusetts currently live in Plymouth, Massachusetts. I'm here to support the bills that Tom just went over. I'd like to say something that doesn't get said enough in that This is a great country, and I would say that it's the greatest country. Everybody in this room is probably No. Not probably. Everybody in this room has benefited from our policies and programs. 350 million people in this country have benefited from our policies and programs. But with that comes obligation That's what this bill is about, obligations of our young adults. The selective service system Changed my life greatly. I was not a good student in high school working in a factory.
On March 31 1967, I turned 18 years old. The next month, I signed up for the selective service. 1967, it was a very different time in this country, the height of the Vietnam war. selective service system was very important. All of my friends, everybody that I knew They signed up for the selective service system almost immediately. And I benefited, like I said, from the selective service both directly and indirectly. because on August 10 1968, that was drafted. After seven months of training in infantry and combat leadership, I did a year tour in Vietnam as an infantryman with the 82nd Airborne Division And when they rotated back, I was reassigned to a tank commander for the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
And as aside for your history buffs, the 11th Armored Cavalry, Regiment the regimental commander was George S. Patton III. How, did I benefit from the social from the selective service? Military Life gave me confidence, maturity I didn't have in high school. and leadership skills that I probably wouldn't have developed until much later in life came out of the service, and went to college. Again, I benefited from being in the service and the selective service. I received the GI bill of rights for education. My first year, I got a $190 a month. By the time I reach my 4th year, was up to 350 a month. Unbelievable to most of you that actually covered my full tuition for college and actually part of graduate school.
So selective service indirectly got me into college and got me through college. After I graduated from college, mid seventies was a terrible economic time. We had high inflation, high unemployment, very few opportunities. I applied for the federal government 1 of1266 the good things about the federal government, they have a lot of veteran preferences. I had to take an exam. I did very well on the exam, but I have got an extra five points because I was from the selective service in the in the military. I was hired at the US Department of Agriculture where I had a 36 year career. The last 25, I was the regional director for the special nutrition programs that manage the school lunch and breakfast programs and the commodities.
That went to schools, soup kitchens, food banks for the six New England States in the state of New York. And I used to come here every year for the school lunch week in with the Massachusetts School Food Services Association, and promote the1308 school lunch program. So without the selective service, originally, I wouldn't have gone to college I wouldn't have gotten a job with the federal government. And lastly, I ran into some health problems, and I'm on the VA health. So we don't want to make it difficult for kids to register. It should be very easy, and it is easy, but we have to get them interested and this bill helps out getting them onto the system.
Because I would hate to see these kids lose out on the opportunity to get a federal student loan and or get a federal job or a post office job, and that's what the law says they would have it, and maybe it's not enforced as much as it should be, but things change. Administration could change in two years. Four years ago, nobody ever thought that we would run into a situation where a pandemic brought our country to a standstill and killed a million people. Selective service is a security blanket for anything that we run into down in the future. So, again, I would like to thank you for hearing my comments, and would like your support for for this for these 2 bills. Thank you very much. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, John. We appreciate your testimony, and thank you for your service to the country as well. Any questions from members of the committee?
Seeing none. Thank you again.
SPEAKER16 - Thank you. I'd like to
SPEAKER1 - now welcome trooper Christopher Johnson from the Massachusetts state police association to testify on house 3296 and set it 2281.1411 Trevor?
CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON - STATE POLICE ASSOCIATION OF MASSACHUSETTS - HB 3359 - SB 2204 - Good morning. Chairs Crighton, Chairs Straus and all distinguished members of the committee. As previously mentioned, my name is trooper Christopher Johnson, and I'm here on behalf of the state police association of1427 Massachusetts, the union for the state police.1429 In support, in testify in favor for house bill 3359 incentive bill 2204, an act facilitating better interactions between police officers and persons with autism spec disorder, also known as the blue envelope bill. According to James Major, the former executive director of the Massachusetts Association of Approved Private Schools. From 2004 to 2019. The Commonwealth saw a 400% increase in the number of students in classrooms.
Naturally, the number continued to rise at the same rate. According to the CDC in 2020, about 1 in 36 children had been diagnosed with autism by the age of 8. compared to 1150 children in 2000. As the father of three young children is encouraging to know that early detection, innovation, technology, and medicine, as well as1476 intensive classroom interventions have made a1478 significant difference in the lives of so1480 many children or families with autism. But as a Massachusetts state trooper who recognizes that elementary school students will be old enough during my time and during my career to drive on our roadways, on behalf of the state police association, I respectfully urge the committee to act favorably on both of these bills.
Effective communication, is the cornerstone of virtually every aspect of our lives. For students and adults, those with a developmental disorder, how we interact with others, casually or under stress can sometimes be misinterpreted. For those who live on the autism spectrum, difficulty with communication and interaction, with others is a daily struggle. In an incident involving law enforcement and motorists, avoiding miscommunication between the1522 officer and the driver is imperative. We are trained to observe things like body language, eye contact, hand gestures, and agitation. If I pulled someone over at mid approach the vehicle, and the operator appears very nervous won't make eye contact and isn't responding to my questions. My senses are on high alert. I'm wondering What is this operator up to?
Without the ability to understand the circumstances at the beginning of the interaction and connect my observations to a reasonable explanation, the interaction could escalate quickly. This legislation helps all involve to avoid stress and mistakes in traffic situations. The blue envelope is a thought a full discrete way to help law enforcement officers recognize the individual needs of a person with autism and for us to do our jobs without misunderstanding the situation. His encouraging to hear the previous anecdote regarding a trooper John Mendek and1571 his interaction. The key to that interaction was information. Once he learned why an individual is behaving a certain way he was able to1578 effectively deescalate. And it's for those reasons and examples like that why I strongly urge you encourage you to pass this legislation. Thank you very much for your time.
SEN CRIGHTON - Thank you, trooper Johnson. We appreciate your1588 testimony. Just 1 1 quick question from the chair here. you know, it seems pretty straightforward, but can you think of an instance or a situation where this could have, you know, any unintended consequences or are there any, you know, concerns from law1606 enforcement about this policy or1608 is it pretty universally supported?
JOHNSON - The only, I guess, speed bump I could see is that this is always going to be post stop or post incident interaction. Right? I don't know if there'd be a way for early detection. So if you see a vehicle behaving in a certain way operating in a certain manner, we do have to essentially respond to the situation or make the motor vehicle stop before we'll have the opportunity if this legislation is passed to see the blue envelope. but more information the better. I mean, this is 1 particular issue. I wish we had different colored envelopes or different colored reasons because there are just so many people that are plagued with mental health disorders, developmental disabilities. The more information, the better1649 for law enforcement to actually have a safer outcome. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you. That's very helpful. Questions for members of the committee, I see a representative Holli First, and then I'll go to representative Kent Kent.
SPEAKER18 - Thank you, trooper. Can you hear me?
SPEAKER7 - they can see
SPEAKER18 - both things. Yeah.
SPEAKER1 - really high technology in this neighborhood here today.
REP HOWITT - Thank you, Drew. Just a quick question. You mentioned about your training and all the cues that you look at when you happen to pull someone over, hopefully not too often. And the envelope is supposed to be attached to the visor is my understanding. So you pull someone over. I was always years ago. Keep your hands on the wheel. Wait until the officer comes. Or at night, maybe put on the interior light. Keep your hands on the wheel. So you see activity of someone moving around, pulling the visor down. Does that give you more pause, or is that based the only way that this would work?
JOHNSON - Well, it's a couple of ways. We approach every different scenario1719 out there, and the situation always dictates our1721 response in approaching a vehicle where an operator might be moving. We're always going to1725 ask1725 why. If they're looking under the seat, that's a little unusual. If they're going into the glove1729 box, however, they could retrieving the license and registration. If something is on the visor and an individual is displaying these after characteristics, I think it would be very easy for a law enforcement officer.
To observe the blue envelope and immediately connect the dots and say, I understand why I may be receiving the responses from this particular operator. I understand your concerns. We the last thing we want to see, you know, from a law enforcement perspective approaching a vehicle and an unknown risk traffic stop fidgeting and movement, affirmative movements as it's often not referred to us. But again, I wouldn't say that that's necessarily unusual especially given the circumstances.
HOWITT - Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you. Our representative carries.
REP KERANS - Thank you, Mister Chair. Related to that, thank you for your testimony. Is there training within the police, the state police system in recognizing autism spectrum disorders, what have you, other mental health issues, is there training now for officers about how to handle that?
JOHNSON - Yeah. So it's a rec require now in the State Police Academy. I can only speak I can't speak on the MPTC, for example. But for the State Police Academy, I went to the through the Academy in 2015. And I did receive a period instructing on understanding and recognizing the signs of a person that may have may have autism. But like any other training, right, it's if you don't use it, you lose it. And I think any type of indication that will give us warning or a little bit of hint that this might not be your typical operator. They might other needs that you need to consider, I think, is a great idea, and that can only help us in benefit us in the future.
KERANS - That's great. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Do you have any any the questions. With that, thank you, trooper. Appreciate your testimony and taking time away to testify here today.
SPEAKER17 - Thank you very much. Thank you.
SPEAKER1 - I just want to recognize that we have representative crews from the committee as well as Senator Sumeran from the committee they are joining us online. We have 2 more folks to testify in person, and then we're going to move over to our1857
remote participants, and I apologize. I understand there has been some issues with some of the feeds. Today, we're trying to work for those as they come up. I'd like to welcome Walter Gonzalez to come speak, testify on behalf of house 3388. Do we have Walter here?
Come on, Walter. Come on up.
SPEAKER3 - How are you? Good. See you. Nice to see you. So the
SPEAKER1 - is all yours?
WALTER GONZALEZ - CONCERNED CITIZEN - HB 3388 - Hi mu name is Walter Gonzalez. I was just recently incarcerated in National Street, Jib. I just came home in October of 2022. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
If
SPEAKER1 - you could just move the mic just a also to see if it's you're1905 going to kind of speak right into it. Thank
SPEAKER20 - you all.
GONZALEZ - Yeah. I came home in October 2022. on house arrest, on a bracelet GPS monitoring. And I got locked up when I was 17, so I didn't have nothing permit, ID, birth certificate, Social Security card, anything. That's what I think. I don't knew. And when I came home, I owed I owed, like, I think, $85 in fees from my road test that I never took, and I did I never got. And so when I came home, I had to apply for my permit. But in order to do that, you have to have a birth certificate of social in order to get up I think,1950 a social, you have to have ID. In order to get ID, you have to have a social. It was kind of like back and forth, you know.
Is I couldn't really get any and then I forget thinking it was I paid the fees and I got a copy of my birth certificate. And I stuck an ID, and I had went to go get my original call of the birth certificate. And then I got my social and went and got my ID. But when I went to look at my ID out of pay, the $85 fees. The new $35 fee for the road test in, a $100 for to use a car to even get my license. And going through all of that, when I came1995 home, I was facing a you know, I didn't have1997 nowhere to live. So that was another issue because it's like trying2004 to figure out where I'm going to stay on top of trying to get my license.
And then in2008 order to get your license, you have to have certain documentation.2010 They don't have none of those documentation, so I'm supposed to get something that requires something that I don't have. So it's kind of I'm stuck, and then I don't have a stable home. So it's not like I could just go somewhere, figure it out, and then wake up in the morning, go to down to downtown and do something, you know, because it's, like, And then I'm a house arrest. I can't leave the house at some point, so it was it was a lot of complications between, you know, just trying to get everything.
CRIGHTON - Well, thank you, Walter. We appreciate you sharing your story and really highlighting the predicament you were coming out. Can I just assess, there as you're preparing to be released, were there, you know, any programs or assistance to try to, you know, take care of some of the identification issues or fines or any of those as you prepared to exit into reenter society, or did it just2060 begin once you or release?
GONZALEZ - To be honest, it wasn't like, while I was locked up, there was programs. Like, they said they had programs and not to try to help you. but there was never, like, when you come home, go here, or when you come home, talk to this person. It was just, like, I came home out on bail. I just came home. I'm just put me in a house where I said, 24 hour home confinement GPS, you can leave the house. And it was like, alright. Now I'm sending out. I have no phone. I have no money. I have nothing I just kind of sat there.
I had to wait for somebody to let me use your phone real quick, see if I call this person, see if I call my lawyer, see if I can get to court to put a motion in to go here, try to get my ID I mean, my son, birth certificate, get my social, to get my ID. So it was like, I didn't really have nobody. I had to just look up, how do I get an ID or how do I get a social? What do I need to get my birth certificate in? And then I just kept on asking people, hey. What do I do? You know? wasn't that polite. Nobody said this is where you go.
CRIGHTON - No. Thank you. Hey. Because as2120 you're moving forward, if any of these issues continue, you know, to be difficult to navigate or we could help with the system. We're certainly happy to connect with your state rep your state senator. So feel free after or the hearing to just let us know if we can be of assistance. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Any questions from members of the committee?
anyone online. Alright. Thank you so much. We appreciate you taking this out here.
So, actually, we are joined here by a center to come for oh, not remotely. Sorry. I was looking at the screen that is just showing us. Senator, would you if you're free to testify. Thank you.
Welcome to InterContinental. Thanks for joining us.
SEN COMERFORD - SB 2207 - SB 2204 - Thank you2174 so much. chair Christ Crighton and Chair Straus, honorable members of the committee. I'm grateful that you're hearing 2 bills that I've filed, and thank you for the opportunity to speak with you, and thanks for taking me out2188 of turn. The first One I'm going to talk about is S.2207. It's an Act relative to gender identity on Massachusetts identification. So, chairs, I know you know this bill. This bill affirms the ability of people to be identified by their preferred gender pronoun on birth certificates driver's licenses in any other document issued by the Commonwealth. As you know, the designation x has emerged as the standard gender neutral designation on state IDs and records and is available currently on at least 20 states driver's licenses as well as all US passports.
2229 162229 states allow an x designation on birth certificate tickets, and x marker is also consistent with sex2237 designation and standards for internationally recognized IDs and passports as set by the International Civil Aviation Association. So it's widely used. People know what gender they are, non binary gender markers allow individuals who are non binary to participate in society without having to misgender or misidentify themselves. studies have shown that having even 1 document that accurately reflects their gender identity can improve mental health, and reduced suicide attempts among transgender and non binary people. This bill, again, has been before you in sessions, but let me just say that it is stronger this session because we have added protections for anyone.
Who experiences discrimination or form based on gender indicated on state documents. This change was added to the bill in consultation with the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ youth, and I2297 want to thank the Commission for their very diligent work and also the attorney general's office, which collaborated with us in a in a pretty beautiful way. So thank you, and I urge your additional favorable report here. The second is S.2204, and we2316 call this the blue envelope bill and chairs city, here is a blue envelope from Connecticut. I filed this bill in partnership with representative Kay Khan and representative Mindy Domb.
And I should have said, that the bill, the gender x bill I filed in partnership with rep Mindy Domb and, representative Marjorie Decker. and I'm grateful for all the representatives for their excellent work. So the blue envelope bill creates a program. It's a voluntary blue envelope program for drivers with autism spectrum disorder. And here, you'll see that there is in in this Connecticut example, There's drivers on the autism spectrum. It gives some instruction here. And then on the back, it gives instructions for police officers. in terms of what they could or should expect, and I know you just heard some moving testimony from the trooper. Trump stops are more2370 challenging for drivers with autism spectrum disorder.
I know the committee knows this. At the moment, of2376 course, research this is all research based. person with ASD may be overwhelmed due to stimuli of flashing lights, loud radio calls, busy traffic noises. Also, police on officers and first responders, you know, aren't trained every time they go out, aren't notified every time2394 they go out. on best practices for interacting with persons with spectrum disorders. So prompts like this can be very, very useful. The blue envelope2403 holds a driver's license, registration, insurance cards as well as instructions, as I noted, for the police2409 officer based on, you know, best2411 practices for communication. It's modeled after a similar2415 law, which resulted in this in Connecticut in 2020.
It's endorsed by the2421 Arc of Massachusetts, the black autism coalition, autism connections, advocates for autism of Massachusetts coalition, and many, many parents. I you may be hearing from them. Just as important, it's been endorsed by the mass chiefs of police the State Police Association of Massachusetts and the Mass Police Association. And I know that you have letters of support from the director of training of the municipal Police Institute and the Central Mass Police Chiefs Association. I want to shout out that this bill is a result of a collaboration at a UMAS program called the Massachusetts Inclusive Current Enrollment Initiative, we call it MICEI a young participant at MICEI at UMass Amherst was trying to figure out his own anxiety about driving.
He went to a gentleman by the name Mark Cena who runs the program. Together, they brainstormed what to do about his own anxiety. He that they then went together to chief own Parham, who is the chief of police at UMass Amherst Rep Blais knows him well, and the chief received the idea so beautifully he sent a survey to 50 Jurisdictions in Western Massachusetts to chiefs of police and said, would this be useful for you, I think it's really useful. What a great idea. The result back was overwhelming. It was beautiful. from our Western Mass Chiefs, which prompted them to reach out then to Rep Domb and myself, and we filed this bill in their honor. So I'm grateful for your consideration. Of course, I'm happy to have any of your questions, and thank you again. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, senator. We appreciate your2518 advocacy on both of these important bills. Any questions from members of the committee.
Sing None, thank you again.
SPEAKER21 - Thank you. Appreciate it.
SPEAKER1 - I'd like to welcome Julia Garvey to come testify on Houseville 3388.
JULIA GARVEY - MASSACHUSETTS COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS - HB 3388 - HB 3360 - SB 2251 - Good morning. Chair Crighton and chair Straus and the members of the committee. My name is Julia Garvey, and I'm the community organizer slash legislative advocate at the Massachusetts Coalition for the homeless. I want to thank you for this opportunity to testify today in support of House Bill 3388, House Bill 3360, and Senate Bill 2251 an act to provide identification to youth and adults experiencing homelessness. These companion bills filed by representative Jim O'Day, Representative Kay Khan and Senator Robyn Kennedy ease access to Massachusetts IDs for youth and adults experiencing homelessness and thus alleviates a barrier that many people.
Who are on house face when trying to gain access to opportunities that would help them exit homelessness. We are grateful that the senate has unanimously passed versions of this bill in the last three legislative sessions, but we cannot let another session go by without making sure this legislation becomes law. Obtaining a mass ID or another basic identification card is a critical first step to accomplishing typical life tasks and accessing opportunities. Without an idea, it can be hard if not impossible for people experiencing homelessness to apply2614 for jobs, enroll an education programs, get a library card, pick up a package from the post office, receive your prescription. Establish a bank account, access government buildings, receive needed support and services, and to prove one's identity with the police.
Passage and implementation of this legislation is urgent in the broader work to address the disproportionate impact of homelessness on black and Latinx children youth and adults. In talking to an unaccompanied youth adult families experiencing homelessness, we know that both the $25 application fee and the required verifications are areas2649 to obtaining a mass ID. In the most recent Massachusetts youth count conducted in the spring of 2022 and released in March 2023. The commission and unaccompanied homeless youth further explored barriers that unaccompanied youth under the age of 25 face in it accessing needed resources and services. This survey found that many people identified not having an ID.
Or lacking key documents as a barrier to accessing services they needed, including 22 percent of young people who reported facing barriers to accessing cash assistance, 22 seeking nutritional assistance, 19% seeking healthcare. 17% seeking employment, 16% seeking long term housing, and 16% seeking shelter or transitional housing. In the previous Massachusetts youth count conducted in the spring of 2021, the commission found that of the 265 young people under the 25 responding to the survey who met the state's definition of being an unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness, 28% identified not having an ID or lacking key documents as a barrier to accessing the services they needed. The percentage was higher for several key sub population of youth and young adults.
Including young people experiencing homelessness who had a history of justice system involvement, who were doubled up with family members or friends at the time of taking the youth count survey who2729 were unsoldered at the time of taking the youth count survey and who identified that they had ever2733 exchanged sex to meet basic needs. With the implementation of the real ID act across the country, many states have recognized the need for an alternative identification card accessible to experiencing homelessness, especially youth who may lack the documentation necessary to obtain a real ID compliant card. A growing number of states such as California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois.
Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, and Washington currently offer free or reduced fee cards for individuals experiencing2766 homelessness, and many offer clear alternative criteria for individuals experiencing homelessness who cannot just damage rate proof of address. It is time for Massachusetts to step up enjoying these states that are addressing this issue, especially at a time when the state's severe housing crisis complicate achieving housing stability for families and individuals experiencing homelessness. Bypassing and implementing this bill, the registry of motor vehicles would be required to waive the $25 fee for standard mass ID for people experiencing homelessness and allow applicants to submit alternative documentation to prove Massachusetts residency.
Currently, obtaining documentation for residency can be impossible for people staying in encampments and places not meant for it, human habitation. All three bills would allow youth and adults experiencing homelessness to provide evidence that they have received services from state department, division office or agency under the executive office of Health And Human Services. House bill 3388 also would count documentation from an organization that provides housing services or youth services in the Commonwealth. This language matches the most recent version passed by the Senate last session. The language in house bill 3360 and senate bill 2251 is slightly broader and allowed documentation from organ providing services in the Commonwealth, including but not limited to homeless service providers.
We know that swift action is needed so that people experiencing homeless are not left further behind as they seek housing employment other resources. Please join with the 36 sponsors slash co sponsors of the house incentive bills and 61 organizational endorsers from across the Commonwealth and implementing these common sense critical changes to state policy and access to identification cards. We respectfully ask you to please report out house bill 3388, house bill 3360, and senate bill 2251 swiftly in favorably. Thank you again for your time and commitment to preventing and ending homelessness in the commonwealth. As we work toward that shared goal, this legislation is necessary to ensure human rights, dignity, safety and opportunity. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Judith. We appreciate your testimony. Any questions from members of the committee? none. Thank you again for your time. Next, I'd like to welcome Joanne Paul from our senior2896 action council. Joanne, how are you?
SPEAKER7 - Good morning.
SPEAKER1 - We just see you here at the state house.
SPEAKER10 - Yes.
JOANNE PAUL MASS - SENIOR ACTION COUNCIL - HOMELESS - HB 3388 - HB 3360 - SB 2251 - Thank you. Good morning, everyone. Good morning, senator Crighton? My name is Joanne Paul. I attend Boston Public Schools, graduated from college, got a great job, got married. Unfortunately, the marriage did not work out, and we got a divorce. Due to the high rents in Boston, I was unable to afford market rent by myself. Initially, I lived with family and friends on their couches. Eventually, I went2935 to the homeless shelter system. In Massachusetts, there are approximately2939 14,000 people experiencing homelessness due to a lack of income housing excuse me. A lack of low income housing, poverty and unemployment, mental illness, substance abuse, sudden loss of job or income, and domestic violence. In most shelters, you are not guaranteed a bed every day.
You have to wait long lines for a bed lottery ticket. You hope and pray that your number is called. If not, you must go to another shelter and pray they have an available bed. In the morning, you have to leave the shelters by 8:00 AM. Regardless, if it is snowing, raining, or sunny, you do not have the luxury to sleep in late on the weekends or if you are under the weather. You must leave the shelter and come back around 4:00 PM. Just not to bend lottery process all over again. In addition, you have to take all your belongings with you. You are not allowed to leave your vital documents and worldly possessions2994 in the shelter due to a lack2996 of space. Canning your belongings around all day takes a toll on your physical and mental health? It's easy to get depressed or feel hopeless. It's3005 easy.
It's also easy for your important documents, IDs, birth certificates, social security cards, and etcetera to get lost while you are in transition. But in order to do anything in this world, you need your vital documents. order to apply for housing, employment, pre of your prescriptions, you must have a3023 valid ID. Fortunately for me, wrote his place gave me a voucher, help me get my vital documents. I was able to apply for housing and other necessary services. I urge each of you to please vote in favor of House Bill 3388, House Bill 3360, and senate bill 2251. Passing these bills will help people experience homelessness to get back on the grid and access vital services and housing. Today, I am proud to say, I have my housing. And in the words of Dorothy from the wizard of Oz, there's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Joey. We appreciate you coming in and and sharing your personal story. Any questions for members of the committee?
Thank you again. Great to see you.
We're going to jump over to those folks who have signed up to testify remotely. I'm going to read a few names just so you can prepare first. We're going to hear from Farrower Rydor, followed by Triondre Valentine and Pamela Schwartz. Farrah, are are you with us here. Can you either speak or or put your hand up?
SPEAKER7 - Yes. Hi. I'm here.
SPEAKER1 - The floor is yours. We can we can hear you. Thank you. Just speak up as loudly as possible. Yes, please.
FARRAH RIDORÉ - BREAKTIME - HB 3388 - HB 3360 - SB 2251 - For the record, my name is3110 Farrah Ridoré and I'm in policy director policy director at Breaktime. Thank you, Chairman Crightonand Chairman's Straus and to the transportation committee for taking the time today to listen to testimony on bills. Senate bills 2251, house bill 38, and the house bill 3360. An Act to provide identification to youth and adults experiencing homelessness am here on behalf of non-profit organization, Breaktime. Breaktime in Massachusetts. nonprofit founded in 2018. Its mission is to break the cycle of young adult homelessness. They're trying just transitional employment and financial security. This legislation is of high importance. And will provide state identification cards to use and develop experience and homelessness.
The access to a state issued identification card, new to the adults who are experiencing homelessness will be able to apply for jobs, access state services enter government buildings and much more. Not having an ID creates a barrier for3184 many of the young adults that Breaktime3186 serves. Breaktime 's core program model is a three year supported transitional employment program that utilizes supported partnerships to empower young adults experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. Breaktime Assist youth through stages of professional development, applicable work experience with guaranteed living wage.3212 And personalized career and education coaching. Young adults or associates, as we call them, in our program gain critical work experience and networking opportunities.
Breaktime provides young people with the skills, confidence, financial empowerment,3230 and stable employment that they need to succeed. One of Breaktime’s core values is putting young adults first. Data shows approximately each year 4.2 million youth and young adults experience homelessness in the United States and 700,000 of which are on unaccompanied minors. one in 10 young adults ages 18 to 25 will experience homelessness each year, which is why Breaktime is committed to utilizing all the tools available to break the cycle young adult homelessness. Providing access to identification is one step towards that goal, and it is why Breaktime fully supports these bills. We must prioritize upstream preventive measures before housing and security occurs while also addressing immediate needs for young people.
Breaktime focuses on policies, adjusting homelessness, and other systemic barriers facing young adults. Many young adults are unable to pay for the application fee or provide the required documentation needed to obtain a state issued identification card. Having access to an ID will help cut through unnecessary red tape that our associates have to navigate. Thank you to Senator Robyn Kennedy, and representatives Jim O'Day and representative Kay Khan for their continued leadership and support on gaining IDs for young adults. experiencing homelessness. Breaktime would also like to thank the Massachusetts Coalition for the homeless for their tireless efforts as well and3332 leadership to bring this these bills to the forefront. Thank you so much for your support. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Susan, thank you. We appreciate your testimony. Any questions from members of the committee? Seeing on thank you again for taking the time to testify. So I'm going to redo the names again just so can prepare. I'm going to welcome up, Gianni Ballantine, Pamela Schwartz, and then followed by Gabriela Del Bueno. I I would like to just remind folks, test find that you're welcome to submit written testimony to the committee do have over 40 folks still signed up to testify in order respect to everyone's time as well as, I think, having the committee room booked would ask to to please, you know, summarize your written testimony or try to keep your testimony to under 3 minutes. Do we have a Triande
Ballantyne with us?
I I I believe you're on mute. Okay. Yes. We can hear you now. Thank you.
TRE'ANDRE CARMEL VALENTINE - MASSACHUSETTS TRANSGENDER POLITICAL COALITION - HB 3368 - SB 2207 - Good morning, honorable chair persons, Crighton and Straus and members of the joint committee. Thank you for the opportunity to provide a statement in support of bills House 3368, and senate 2207 titled an act relative to gender identity, on Massachusetts identification. These bills would provide critical representation for thousands of transgender, no binary, and intersects people across the state. My name is Tre'Andre Valentine, the executive director of the3430 Massachusetts trench and a political coalition.3432 the nation's oldest active statewide organization that advocates for the rights and equity of tranche under a non binary people across the state.
As executive director, I know and have seen firsthand how imperative it is to have identity documents such as state IDs, birth certificates, and school IDs reflect your authentic self. For non binary and intersects people in Massachusetts, this reflection of the truth is not yet possible because our current systems with the exception of the RMV only reflect two binary genders. This forces many people to provide inaccurate information about themselves3473 on state documents. And for those who have already adopted an ex gender marker on their driver's license or non driver state ID, Their other documents indicate a different gender marker. In 2022, the RMV, they reported about 2000 individuals between the ages of 16 to 78 have adopted an X marker on their driver's license on non driver state ID. This means that currently 2000 individuals have inconsistent ID documents.
Which can cause a number or of problems when needing to present more than one document that verifies someone's identity. House 3368, and senate 2207 will work to remedy this by providing a non binary gender marker for use on state IDs or databases. Of cause x as agenda market is already been utilized and approved by 12 other US states and several countries around the world. An ex gender market is consistent with the practice of the International Civil Aviation Association an agency of the United3543 Nations, which uses an internationally recognized passport format3547 that allows for M,3549 F or X gender markers. Adding a non binary gender marker option from Massachusetts state IDs does3556 not impact standing with real ID. And X general market complies with federal rules and regulations for domestic3564 and international travel.
Providing representation for non binary and intersex people, however, has a profound impact on the visibility of our communities. These gender markers of from an individual's identity and illustrate that we, as a state, value all people. Having identifiers that match a person's gender identity contributes to a broader sense of well-being and safety. There are thousands of non binary and intercepts3592 people across the state in Massachusetts who simply want to be treated3596 with respect and dignity. providing an identity document that reflects a person's true self is just 1 way Massachusetts can continue to be an affirming state and validate the3608 humanity of these communities. I respectfully request that you give3612 H.3368 and Senate 2207 approval report. Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Trey. I appreciate your testimony. Any questions from members of the committee? Seeing on. Thank you again. I would now welcome Pamela Schwartz followed by Gabriela, the Bueno and Daniel Sandberg. Pamela, are are you with us?
SPEAKER24 - Yes. I am. Good morning.
PAMELA SCHWARTZ - WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS NETWORK - HB 3388 - HB 3360 - SB 2251 - Good morning My name is Pamela Schwartz. I am the director of the Western Massachusetts Network to end homelessness. Thank you for your time. Chair Crighton chair Straus and honorable members of the committee. I'm here to testify in support of the Massachusetts ID bill. bills, I should say, house 3388,3658 3360, and senate 2251. First, on the network, just to give you a a sense of text for who I'm here representing.
We bring together over hundreds of partners, really, probably close to 500 partners across the 4 counties of Western Massachusetts, from Springfield to the Berkshire, United in our mission to prevent and end homelessness with a housing first approach that captures racial equity. We convene across subpopulations, families, individuals, youth and young adults, veterans, and more. And we and I actually want to give a nod. I don't know if representative Blais is here right now on your dias, but I I can't see, but I just want to say she is an - SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER3 - She's here.
SCHWARTZ - Thank you. Welcome. Hello. Hello. Representative play. She's very committed member of our network and is in fact a supporter of these bills. So thank you, personal. Thanks, representative Blais. So, basically, we convene, and we are a clearing house for information best practices. We'll needs are? How do we best respond to the challenges? We also look at the data and what's going on. I can report to you very sadly that in this last point in time count in that was hit down on January in January of 2023, we hit our highest number infive years of people experiencing homelessness in Western Massachusetts, over 3300 people. That is the for unsheltered individuals, there was a 150% increase since 2021. People living on the3748 streets are not fit for human habitation.
For young people, a 25% increase of people living of people ages 18 to 25 living either in shelter or on the street. 96 young adults were counted as living homeless in this last year. We know around network table, we talk about what do we need, what are the various what are the various solutions. We know it's a comprehensive approach. We know that's all that we need. I mean, we know that what we need is not a single, but multiple approaches. But the 1 thing among many that has risen. We have a whole series of legislative priorities. And what has stood out is this solution, creating access creating the possibility for people who are experiencing homelessness to get a Massachusetts ID, to create to reduce the barrier, to eliminate the barrier that not having the ID provides.
Whether it is to jobs, education, housing itself, there and all the services that are related to responding to homelessness. So relatively speaking, I got to say this is a This is a no brainer, meaning, you know, we're not talking about rent control in this moment, although the network is on board for that too. We got a long list of legislative priorities, but reducing the barrier to Massachusetts ID, the senate passed it 3 times as you know, we can we just need to get it over the finish line. This something we can do quickly and will know what might impact, and it will help prevent homelessness, and it will actually allow for greater stability across our region and across our state. So I appreciate your consideration. I urge a very quick favorable report out of committee, and thank you for your time. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Pamela. We appreciate your testimony. Any questions from members of the committee?
Seeing done. Thank you again for your testimony taking the time to come here today. Next, I'd like to welcome up Gabriela followed by Daniel Sandberg and then Manzani. Gabrielle, are you were you with us?
We'll we'll circle back to Gabriela. Should she join on Daniel Sandberg?
Daniel Samberg,
I will circle back to Daniel. Mondzani.
I will circle back. John
Patsy O'Rourke?
SPEAKER13 - Hi. Good morning. Can you hear me okay?
- Good morning, Joe. We can hear you. Just give me 1 second. So after John, we're going to to Maria O'Loughlin in Ian Harrington if they're on. John, the floor is yours. Thank you for joining us.
JOHN PACIOREK - DEERFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT - SB 2204 - HB 3359 - Excellent. Thank you so much, Mister Chair. Thank you for taking the time and having3929 me in this morning virtually. by professional trade. I'm the chief of police out in the town at Deerfield in Western Massachusetts. I'm the president of Franklin County Chiefs3938 of Police Association. and on the Mass Chiefs's legislative committee. I attend you virtually this morning to support senate bill 2204 and house 3359,3951 also3951 known as the blue envelope bill. I did prepare an entire speech for you, but I think you've already heard most of it. What I will tell you this morning is this is supported across all spectrums of law enforcement that there is no downsides to it. It is an amazing program.
And the faster we as chiefs and members of law enforcement community can recognize the specific needs of any community member the better we are able to support all members without boundaries. We in Western Massachusetts thought it was so important that I will introduce you to the first 250 envelopes printed in the state right here. We're going to start distributing them in Western Mass across all police departments. starting in July. And, again, I will say there are no downsides. I would respectfully request all the honorable members favorably report this bill out, and I think it is absolutely wonderful. Happy to answer any questions. Thank you so much. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, chief. We appreciate your your testimony and your work on this issue. Any questions for members of4025 the committee?
Thank you again, Cheap. We appreciate your time here today. I'd I'd like to now call up Maria O'Laughlin, Ian Harrington, and Cole Harrison, if they're here, Maria, are you are you with us?
Ian Harrington,
SPEAKER3 - Good
SPEAKER1 - morning, Ian. The the floor is yours.
IAN HARRINGTON - CONCERNED CITIZEN - HB 3296 - SB 2281 - Thank you. Good morning to the joint committee on Trans station, and thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak this morning. I'm Ian Harrington, a long time resident at Whalen. I'm interested in appearing before you today because I have a 34 year career as a transportation planner for the Baltimore on the area before I retired a little over seven years ago. I join you today to speak again H.32964081 S.2281, An Act to ensure benefits through enhanced Selective Service registration. I object to that title as it seems to me the legislation in essence ensures.
On the Mac registration of holders of Massachusetts driver's licenses for the military travel. I don't view that as showing any benefits. I object to this idea and I called was a need to recall my experience 50 years ago. I spent some time considering my registration for the military draft as I was turning 18. I became clear that I was indeed conscious objected to war, and I went to my draft board to fill out a form to establish my status. However, the clerk informed me that they had run out of those forms, so I found myself forced to register for the draft without an option of establishing my conscientious is the objection. I wrote a letter to the draft board upon returning home.
But I had no assurance that such a letter would have any impact. I'm set I'm set to see there is no provision in this legislation for driver's4147 license application. to declare their status as the conscious just object to reward. I feel strongly that no 1 benefits from including the names of people who have conscious of infections to war in the list for a military trial. does not recognize the rights of those who hold the conscious objection. It also seems to me, as a retired planner, that the result in false sense of available resources harms the planning process. I also appreciate division in this bill.
For requiring some federal funding for the cost of changing software to make the change in process. but I saw no provision in the bill for reimbursement for the clerical calls for the additional processing that this provision would require. Going that the Commonwealth transportation resources are especially with dinner than when I was working, I find this troubling. Vote for the time of the rich three workers and for the additional financial burdens on the Commonwealth. Thank you for considering my testimony today. I hope you'll recognize these and other problems with the proposed legislation and wrote down H. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
3296 S.2281.
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Ian. We appreciate your testimony. Any questions from members of the committee?
Say none. Thank you again for your time. I'd like to call up Cole Harrison, Keira Serna, in Reverend June, our cooper. call you with us.
SPEAKER16 - Oh, I
4242 SPEAKER14242 -4242 am4242 sorry.
SPEAKER3 - Here I am.
SPEAKER1 - -- you are back with us. As long as you are. Sorry about
SPEAKER3 - that.
COLE HARRISON - MASSACHUSETTS PEACE ACTION - HB 3296 - SB 2281 - Thank you, representative Straus and senator Crighton for convening this hearing. I'm Cole Harrison, executive director of Massachusetts Peace Action. Peace action was formed in 1957 as the committee for a4263 same nuclear policy. Today, Massachusetts Peace Action has 2000 dues paying members in the Commonwealth and 16,000 online supporters. We call for peaceful solutions to conflicts, reduction of armaments, and diversion of the massive Pentagon budget to meeting civilian needs. We oppose H.3296 and S2281, which would cause applicants for driver's licenses, learner's permits, state ID cars and renewals of these cars to be automatically registered with the selective service system unless the applicant opts out.
They would permit applicants' personal data to be forwarded to the selective service system, which also allows them to be contacted by military recruiters. Draft registration is an obsolete federal policy. Nobody has been drafted in the United States since 1975.Since everyone understood that drafting large numbers of men during the Vietnam War was hugely unpopular. The United States oversees wars of choice since then in Iraq and Afghanistan were unpopular enough when we fought them with volunteer soldiers. Imagine what the political situation would have been in the country if the armies we4338 sent to invade those countries had been4340 populated by Draftees.
Moreover, the constitutionality of a draft in peacetime4346 and a draft for undeclared wars is seriously in question. Draft registration is a failed federal policy. Lincoln it to Massachusetts, driver's licenses won't save it. Although, many 2018 are supposedly to register with selective service, most do not. And the effort required to ensure uniform compliance would be very large. If the nation ever did really require a draft, we would have to start over with a completely new registration effort. Other large states such as Pennsylvania, New Jersey, California don't require selective registration as a condition to issue a driver's license and aren't likely to do so.
Massachusetts is under absolutely no obligation to use state sources to enforce the Military Selective Service Act. Draft registration does not contribute to the main purpose of driver licensing which is road safety. Federal law should be enforced by the federal government at federal expense with uniform legal rights and penalties for violations of federal laws, not state by state. We request the committee to record your votes on this bill and to post them on the legislature's website.4422 Thank you for your attention. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Cole. We appreciate your testimony in person here in questions from the committee members.
See you now. Thank you again. We appreciate your time.
SPEAKER5 - Thank you.
SPEAKER1 - Yes. I'd like to to welcome a representative to testify.
SPEAKER7 - Good morning.
SPEAKER16 - Thank you, Walt.4457
REP KHAN - HB 3359 - HB 3360 - Thank you, Chair Crighton and Chair Straus and the members of the committee. I'm happy to be here. I don't know. Can you hear me okay? So I'm really I'm here to testify on two bills. House 3359 and House 3360. 3359 the first bill that I'll speak about, is commonly known as the blue envelope bill. It was filed by senator Comerford and myself in the last session, and the bill aims to enhance communication between law enforcement4491 and officers and people with autism spectrum disorder. So imagine for a moment, the anxiety and fear that individuals with autism spectrum order and their loved ones experienced when faced with a routine traffic stop. The unique communication.
And social interaction difficulties is associated with autism can contribute to misunderstanding of the pet potential escalations of these situations. With the blue envelope bill, we have an opportunity to make a real difference in these interactions, and the blue envelopes are simple and effective serving a dual purpose providing vital information to law enforcement officers and safeguarding important documents. Drivers with autism or their family members can voluntarily request a4540 blue envelope from the RMV, which they then4544 attach of the car sun visor. I don't know if anybody's brought a blue envelope they have. Okay. The exterior of the blue envelopes will provide written instructions including effect communication strategies for interacting with autistic individuals.
The valuable information will enable officers to approach interactions with understanding empathy and necessary tools for success. Additionally, the blue envelopes will be designed to hold a person's driver's license, registration, insurance card, emergency contact information And this will keep essential documents organized and easily accessible at traffic stops and other encounters The bill is widely supported by many in law enforcement community and by autism advocacy organizations, and it's modeled after success Connecticut law4596 and sends a powerful message that Massachusetts is committed to protecting the rights and well-being of all residents regardless of their neurodiversity.
So I would like to thank the committee for passing the blue envelope bill out favorably the last session, and we hope you will consider take consideration and do the same this session. The second bill I would like to test find support of is H.3360, commonly known as the homeless ID bill, for which I'm the lead sponsor. I have co filed the bill for many sessions with a representative O'Day, but this session we filed two slightly different bills slightly different versions of the bill, and I sincerely hope the committee will cons consider moving them forward. I think in the past, these bills have moved forward as well. So the homeless ID bill would provide identification cards to homeless individuals.
Including unaccompanied homeless youth. The homelessness robs people of their sense of security, stability, and often their identity without proper4663 identification, individuals experience experiencing homelessness face significant barriers to a broad range of activities applying for jobs, enrolling in educational programming, accessing social services, getting into buildings. Often, they can't get in without an ID, The and the homeless bill is not nearly a bureaucratic change. It is an act of compassion of dignity and4689 fairness recognizes the inherent right of every individual to have an identity, a way to be recognized, and acknowledge as a member of our community regardless their housing status.
So again, I just feel that this is a I feel it's a really important bill. We've been working on for a very long time. I don't we haven't really understood why it doesn't go forward, but we're hoping this will be the year. And it's just really unconscionable that people don't have4717 some sort of identification. And it does cost money. I think it's about $25 to get the ID and for homeless folks, they just don't have that that amount of money to be able to spend. And then also the bills also have different ways of identifying people so there could be for the RMD, it could be other places where they're living where they can show somebody will vouch for them that just say that they you know, they are legitimate and should really be able to receive the ID. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, representative. We appreciate your advocacy and test the bill. I'm going to turn it over to my cochair, Bill Straus.
REP STRAUS - I don't have a question. I just really will use your testimony just to make clear that the committee has, in the last few sessions, as I recall, reported the bill favorably, And I just would add for the benefit of people here or watching online who may be saying, I thought I tuned in to the Committee, and why is something related to homelessness or housing before this committee? Just so everyone understands, the registry of motor vehicle also is responsible to issue different identification forms and So that is why even the jurisdiction of the committee and the registering Motor Vehicles, why these identification type pieces of legislation come here. And as the sponsor knows, It's the bill has and the idea of being favorably perceived by the Canadian likely to be so again, and we'll see where it goes from there. But as I said, I didn't have a question. I just wanted to use this as an opportunity to clarify the context and the bill for good to see you.
KHAN - Well, thank you very much for the for the clarification. I I just want to I just might add that, you know, people coming out of the criminal justice system, prisons, and so forth.4843 We need to make sure they also have an ID. Many of them leave without an ID.4847 And so that that's equally important, but thank you for4851 clarifying that about the RMV. And thank you also. The committee has4855 been very favorable for this legislation, and we're hopeful that we can continue. The Senate actually has passed it a few times. So we're hoping we can bring it around in house. So thank you all for my opportunity4869 to speak to you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you. Appreciate your time. are returning to the the list of those who have signed up to testify online. We left off at Kayra Serna, Reverend June Cooper, and Edward Hasbrooke. Kayra, are you online?
4892 Moving4892 on to to reverend June Cooper? I think you're fine.4896 Oh, sorry, Cara. Cara, is4898 that you?
We it's it's a little faint. If you don't mind maybe speaking closer to the mic, or or a little louder?
SPEAKER8 - I just switch.
SPEAKER1 - Much better. Thank you. The floor is yours.
Kairo serna - College Democrats of Massachusetts - SB 2207 - HB 3368 - Alright. Thank you. chair Crighton, chair Straus, members of the joint committee on transportation. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you about this issue today. My name is Kairo Serna. I am a transgender and non binary student at U mass Amherst and the political director of college Democrats from Massachusetts. In light of the growing human rights crisis in many states, it is clear to me, and I hope it is to you that we need legislation to establish safety for transgender people here in the common law. The bill for you today S.2207and H.3368. We'll ensure that Massachusetts can protect its transgender and genderqueer constituents by making it easier to obtain gender and grid IDs.
First and foremost, this bill will prevent discrimination and violence against transgender people. The national center on transgender equality found 40% of people whose IDs did not match their gender were harassed, 3% were attacked and 15% were asked to leave an establishment. In police interactions, over half of respondents to the largest ever survey of transgender Americans were verbally harassed repeatedly misgendered and physically and sexually assaulted. especially at risk are African American, multiracial, and gender nonconforming people. But mismatched IDs can also result in transgender people being denied housing and employment. Clearly, the barriers to obtaining gender congruent IDs are barriers to living which violate our privacy and put us in danger.
Every time I use my ID, I am outed as trans to employers, clerks, police, and more. Everyday interactions become dehumanizing and dysphoric experiences. Every time I have to prepare myself to be scrutinized, judged, misjudged, and questioned, and my expectations are often right. I don't want to explain my existence to strangers every time I go to a bank, apply for a job, or housing, or take a plane. It's humiliating. Additionally, when we require medical documentation to change our gender IDs, the cost of gender affirming surgery, which is rarely covered by insurance, is the biggest obstacle for5068 transgender people who disproportionately suffer from poverty employment discrimination.
And a lack of access to informed adequate health care. But this bill, by removing those requirements, would address those gaps in healthcare. It is time for IDs to be updated to reflect what we now know about people and about diversity. Already, many states, the issues for Columbia and various cities have already proven that ex gender markers on IDs work, and even that no gender designation works, often without medical proof. and it is time for us to share in that progress. So with this in mind, I urge you all to report Bill S.2207 and H.3368 favorably. Thank you for your consideration. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you. We appreciate you taking the time to testify into the share your personal story. Any questions for members of the committee?
See you now and thank you again for your time.
Next, we're going to move to Reverend June Cooper, then Edward Hasbrooke and Maria Santale. Revenue, are you here with us today?
our williams. Go next to Edward Hasbroke.
EDWARD HASBROUCK - CONCERNED CITIZEN - HB 3296 - SB 2281 - Thank you. My name is Edward Hasbrouck., and I'm here to testify against H.3296 and S.2281. which would automatically register applicants for driver's licenses or state IDs for a possible military draft. In 1982, I became the only person prosecuted in Massachusetts for refusing to register5177 with selective service since the5179 current system was established. Only 20 draft registration resistors were picked out for prosecution nationwide, and nobody5187 has been sucuted anywhere in the US for refusing to register for the draft since 1986. That's not because people comply with the law. men are required not only to register at age 18, but to notify selective service every time they change their address until they turn 26.
At a recent congressional hearing, the Chair of the House Armed Services Committee noted that the address reporting requirement is, in his words, universally ignored. And in 2019, the former director of selective service who oversaw the establishment of the current program testified that the database is now so incomplete and inaccurate that it would be, quote, less than useless, unquote, for an actual draft, and that the selective service law should be repealed entirely as some in Congress have since proposed. Criminal prosecutions of non registrants were abandoned not because they were effective, but because they proved counterproductive and encouraged greater resistance.
Even when people like me were convicted and imprisoned, prosecuting a handful of vocal non registrants called attention to the resistance and sent a message to others that there was safety in numbers and that they were at little or no risk of prosecution if they kept quiet. These bills are a misguided attempt to bail out federal program that has been an object failure and that the feds themselves have chosen not even to try to enforce for decades. This is a bad idea and it won't work. As long as California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and other states continue to face driver's licenses on driving tests and not draft registration, it's beyond the power of the Commonwealth to salvage this failed federal program.
Even if we're appropriate, which it isn't, to impose sanctions on the basis of unproven accusations that individuals have violated federal law even though the feds have chosen not to press charges or give them a day in court. Most Massachusetts residents don't support planning and preparation for a draft. We are seeing today how the existence of a fallback system of compulsory mobilization emboldened Russian military planners and made them think they didn't need to worry about whether the Russian people would be willing to fight a war in Ukraine. The US should not make the same mistake of relying on the draft to avoid consideration of popular support or lack thereof for its war plans. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Edward. We appreciate your testimony. Any questions from members of the committee? Seeing none. Thank you again. Next, we're going to go to Maria Santelli followed by Tegan Pitt in5346 Nathan Vargas. Maria, are you5348 here?
SPEAKER12 - I am here. I'm awfully sorry, though. My browser5352 will not support the camera. I'm sorry about that.
SPEAKER1 - It's all good. The floor is yours.
MARIA SANTELLI - CENTER ON CONSCIENCE AND WAR - HB 3296 - SB 2281 - HB 3388 - HB 3360 - SB 2251 - Thank you. Good morning to everyone. Thank you so much for allowing me to be here. My name is Maria Santelli. I'm the Executive Director of the Center on Conscience and War. We are an 83 year old nonprofit organization dedicated to defending the right freedom of religion and belief for all country interest objectors to war. I'm speaking in opposition today to Senate Bill 2281 and House Bill 3296. which would violate rights of freedom of religion and belief by requiring people of conscience to be registered with the selective service system, otherwise known as the draft, in order to access the public resource of a driver's license or state ID unless they are aware of the option to opt out.
Even with the opt out provision, these bills legitimize a system that is inherently unjust. In our work at the Center on Conscience and War, we find that people don't share our deep and urgent concern about the selective service system even I, when I first came here 12 years ago, had to have my colleague, Bill Galvin, who you may hear from today, really break it down for me. Why should I care about selective service? after all. It's just registration. It's not the draft. The truth is we should all care, even if it doesn't affect us personally, It matters because literally millions of men have been harmed by the failed selective service system. And I understand that the sponsors of this bill may believe they are seeking to prevent harm.
But their efforts while sincere are misguided. They believe they are broadening opportunity but I hope you will consider how this bill could actually contribute to limited rights and freedom. We heard powerful testimony already today on how important a driver's license or state ID is from the supporters of 3388, 3360, 2251. Removing the barrier,5456 they said. S.2281 and H.3296 will erect barriers needlessly. The harm that is done by selective service can come in a variety of ways to people from any and all walks of life. And in ways that maybe we haven't even contemplated. Others testifying today will address several of the myriad problems with selective service.
The one I would like to speak to today is the harm of moral injury, wounds to the soul caused by a transgression against one's conscience, forcing conscientious objectors to register for the draft5489 for many amounts to tacit5491 compliance with war, and therefore is a violation of their most deeply held beliefs. There is no provision in selective service policy to register conscientious objector. At the center of conscience in war, we speak regularly with young people who struggle every day with their conscience as they face selective service registration. This bill in Massachusetts or in any state is not necessary. It serves no productive purpose it will not undue harm against anyone who already has been punished by the lifelong extrajudicial punishments.
That have been levied without due process against non registrants for the last 43 years. This system of punishment without defense prosecution or conviction is unconstitutional and it's un American. Bills like this are further chilling as we see so called voter ID laws become more and more prevalent. Passing these bills will serve to legitimize stripping the rights away from individuals, including disenfranchise them, simply because of their moral or religious beliefs. Even though it's only registration5550 and not the draft, selective service continues to cause harm. There is no reform. It should be abolished. Thank you very much. for hearing my testimony today. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Maria. We appreciate your testimony. Any questions from members of the committee? Hearing on. Thank you again. Next, we're going to go to Tegan Pitts, Nathan Vargas, Maurice B Gordon. We'll we'd like to remind folks again to please keep your testimony under 3 minutes. And if you have written testimony, the committee will gladly take it. So if you could just summarize your testimony. We still have a lot of folks tied up to testify. We want to make sure everyone has their chance to be heard here today. Teagan?
TEAGAN PITTZ - HAMPDEN COUNTY YOUTH ACTION BOARD - HB 3388 - HB 3360 - SB 2251 - Hi. My name is Teagan Pittz. I am 22 years old, and I am5597 a member of the Hampton County youth action board. I was homeless in the state of Massachusetts5602 for seven months ending just5604 this past month. During my time and homelessness, I have met many people both in and out of shelter within multiple different cities. All of these people had 1 thing in common besides being homeless, they just needed to catch a break. I was lucky enough to have had my state ID before becoming homeless.
So whenever opportunities arrived, I was able to take them. This was5625 not the case for everyone though. Almost every program that offers assistance to the homeless population requires5631 a valid state ID. Because of this, I have seen kind, caring, hardworking people miss out on lifesaving opportunities. With these bills being passed, it will provide the break that many homeless individuals desperately need in order to turn their situation around. So please pass these bills, and thank you for your time. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Tim. We appreciate your testimony. I questions for members of the committee. Singing on. Thank you again. Nathan Vargas.
Moving on from5668 Nathan to sorry. Go ahead, Nathan. The floor is yours.
NATHAN VARGAS - HAMPDEN COUNTY YOUTH ACTION BOARD - HB 3388 - HB 3360 - SB 2251 - Okay. Hello. My name is Nathan Vargas. I am 25 years old. I live in Springfield. I am with the Hampden County Youth Action Board. I experienced homeless for three years when I was 18. I am here to support the mass ID bill because, honestly, I feel like with less barriers, we could get something going as in the other states' house. Because for me, when I was homeless, I it took a while for me to get an ID because of the barriers and having to go from being in the system to not being in the system and having to go back you the system to get my birth certificate and my Social Security card, which I never got, but I eventually found a worker that helped5735 me get everything. Please pass these bills. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Nathan. We appreciate you taking this out in the system. SFI and for sharing your personal story. Any questions from members of the committee? Thank you again, Nathan.
Clarice Gordon followed by Hailey Kelly, and then Sean Collins. Clarice, are you here?
SPEAKER31 - Yes. I'm here. Can you hear me?
SPEAKER1 - Yes. We can. Thank you, Clarice.
CLARICE GORDON - LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS IN MASSACHUSETTS - HB 3388 - HB 3360 - SB 2251 - Great. I'm Clarice Gordon, and I'm speaking in support of H.3360, H.3388 and S.2251, the homeless ID bill. and I'm speaking on behalf of the League of Women voters in Massachusetts. ID cards are required for a broad range of life that activities such as applying for a job, enrolling in education programs, opening financial accounts, and obtaining many benefits and services. which you have heard from other advocates today. When people lose their homes, they're all they often leave behind critical documents that will allow them to replace IDs that they had. Imagine losses due to fire, domestic violence, or you've kicked out of the house due to parents not accepting LGBTQ status. Even not being able to pay the rent, It lead to hasty packing and mislaid documents.
It makes sense for the registry of motor vehicles provide IDs as they5836 do now, but add some special provisions for those who are homeless and don't have the usual documents. These bills would provide for the use of alternative documentation from government and nonprofit organization serving homeless individuals to provide IDs for youth and adults who are homeless. That way, they can go on with activities that will help them move on with their lives and move beyond homelessness. We believe ways waving the usual fees also make steps in this case because it's beneficial to the common law. The League women voters has5875 long supported basic human needs and civil rights These bills provide for our government accommodating the needs of individuals during the time of distress Fleet members across the state have asked for your support in getting us these bills passed as soon as possible. Thank you very much. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Clarks. We appreciate your testimony. Any questions, members of the committee?
Thank you again. Next going to go to Haley Kelly, then Sean Collins, and then Bill5909 Galvin.
Hailey or Holly, are you? Hello? Hi. Welcome. Before George. Yes. We can.
HALLEY KELLY - DEMOCRATIC STATE COMMITTEE - HB 3368 - SB 2207 - So hello, and thank you, chairs Crighton and Straus and the rest of the committee. I am Halley Kelly. I am the non-binary at large representative on the Democratic State Committee. And I'm one of the 2000. So people that prior person testifying said had a gender X marker offer driver's license or state ID. I want to applaud the RMV for how easy it was to get that change happened for my driver's license. But I also want to talk about how much of an active breather it was. At the time that I got it, I was still living with my profoundly transfer with parents. So guessing the gender X marker was something that gave me a sense of self validation. And the ability to survive in that situation. While at the same time, I was extremely anxious filling out the paperwork.
Because I knew that if my parents saw my5985 driver's license ever at all, saw the gender X marker.It would put me in danger. Thankfully, I am now looking at my partner, so I'm not in that danger anymore. But it was something that was super found and deeply impactful. need to be able to do. That being said, now I have gender access to new people gender. What am I supposed to do with other state forms that don't have gender access as an option. I am limited to 1 of 2 options, Mike. So which is that I have to either leave the gender field to blank and hopes that client forms for whichever I'm submitting for. Don't get rejected for being or is it that the state is telling me to lie on state paperwork and about my legal interest? Which in itself, you know, ethically dubious. And I don't know whether an office is an endorsement of lying if I'm safe before. by not having the option when this does.
Just to broaden it out to get context of how profound this is going to be going forward. It's going to be way more than the 2000 people. Because one in five people in Geneses identify as LGBTQ in some way. According to the common application or the common app, over 2% of college applicants in the country this year were present for non binary. about half the thing being non binary. So of the people going to college now in the in Massachusetts, 1% are non binary. So that's going to be not just 2000, that's going to be tens of thousands or hon yeah. I don't know. I can't do the. And the other thing I just want to say is that we're behind on those other blue states and legal recognition and protection of trans people. And this can be a good place in catching up. So please report H.3368 and S.2207 favorably. And thank you so much for SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you so much for your time and for your testimony. Any questions from members of the committee? Sing on, thank you again. Next, we'd like up. Sean Collins followed by Bill Galvin and then Tony Bettencourt. Sean, are you here?
SPEAKER33 - Yes. Good morning.
SPEAKER1 - Good morning. Welcome John.
SEAN COLLINS - AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION - HB 3358 - Thank you. Senator Crighton Representative Straus, and members of the transportation committee, thank you for the opportunity to speak with you virtually today. My name is Sean Collins. I hold a commercial pilot certificate and am a graduate of Bridgewater State University's aviation program. I was previously a member of the New Bedford Regional Airport Commission, and I speak to you today as the Eastern Regional Manager for the aircraft owners in Association, AOPA. We are the world's largest aviation membership organization representing the general aviation interest of hundreds of thousands of aircraft owners and pilots across the country, including nearly 5000 from Massachusetts. On behalf of these members, AOPA opposes house bill 3358 an act relative to aircraft noise.
Now first, let me state for the record that AOPA supports the local implementation of fly neighborly programs by airport sponsors and always encourages our members and member pilots to fly responsibly and to be good neighbors of the broader community. In fact, many noise control strategies are easy to implement and painless to use as establishing designated engine run up areas away from the perimeter of the airport. Some airports may also be able to establish a preferred runway under certain weather conditions as well as create and display a map of noise sensitive areas to educate violence. The airport can also implement pattern procedures and altitudes. To minimize noise impact on the ground, including asking pilots to use maximum and safe climb rate during takeoff
But it must also be understood that fly neighborly programs are preempted from being anything more than volume carry in nature. This is6225 because the airport noise and capacity act of6227 1990 preempts. I mean, this appalities6229 and states from enacting local flight restrictions of any type. Please let me underscore that point. The airport noise and capacity act of 1990 pre municipalities and states6239 from enacting local flight restrictions of any form or fashion. Therefore, requiring pilots to commit to a fly and a relief program, which remember can only be voluntary in nature, is a requirement to be able to acquire an airport badge, something that's already required to be able to access an airport in Massachusetts would in our opinion be a violation of federal law. Many of the problems at airports today directly result from a lack of thorough planning before compatible land use.
By the same token, almost every concern about airport noise and safety can be eliminated through responsible and long term land use planning. As tends to happen over time, communities grow and fill the areas around their airport resulting in an increase in noise concern. While it is nearly impossible to reverse prior planning decisions, it is never too late to properly protect the airport for the future. municipalities that operate airports are are already permitted to collect and publish airport noise complaint data at their discretion as we heard senator level state that the Beverly Regional Airport already does. Just as these same municipalities could create zoning to prevent or reduce the development of incompatible land uses around airport, and yet many continue to choose not to so for these reasons, AOPA opposes house bill 3358. Thank you again for the needed to testify today, I'd be happy to answer any questions the committee made. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Sean. We appreciate your testimony. Any questions for members of the committee? Thank you again for your patience and testimony. Next, I'd like to welcome Bill Galvin followed by Tony Benton Court, and then Doug Broom,
Bill you here with me. and hello. Hi. We can hear you. The floor is yours.
BILL GALVIN - CENTER ON CONSCIENCE AND WAR - HB 3296 - SB 2281 - Alright. Great. Yes. Hi. My name is Bill Galvin. Thank you for this opportunity to testify. I am the counseling coordinator at the center on Tungsten and War, which is an organization that was founded back in 1940 by churches who are concerned about how badly conscientious objectors have been treated during world war 1. It's an awful part of our history that I won't really fit into, but they work hard to get better protection in the law of the world before the draft from World War 2 and created us to be an advocate and support for country interest objectors when we we've been at it for over 80 years now. And first of all.
I want to say that driver's licenses have absolutely nothing to do with selective service. And so there's really no reason for the state of Massachusetts to try to make that kind of connection. But selective service law, this is quote, from the selective service law that conscientious objectors must object to, “Participation in war in any form” Well, for some people, registering with selective6404 service itself is a form of participation in war. And so for these people of conscience, this bill would actually do the opposite of what its title says, which is supposedly to ensure benefits. because unless the opt out option is very well publicized, you may have people in your state that who you know.
Have this objection, won't even apply for a driver's license because they know that it would get them registered to the draft. Several years ago, our office worked with a young man like men like man who lived in a state that had such a law. And he did not get his driver's license until he was 26 because he you know, for that very reason. And so for a decade of his life, he was in he was inconvenienced. as were his friends and associates6453 who had to drive him various places. And he had to get a he got a he got a US passports so he had a photo ID, you know, but, basically, the government should not ask someone to violate their religious or moral beliefs to access public resources.
And there are other conscientious objectors who feel that the only way they could have good conscience to register with sector service is they can somehow make a statement when they register on their registration card about it. And if the state of Massachusetts is going to be registering people because they applied for a driver's license, that completely circumvents that possibility. Okay? So this law would, you know, get them registered without that opportunity. So if members of the state legislature really are concerned about people losing access to public resources because of spectrum service, they should be lobbying congress to re repeal the military selective service act rather than passing these kinds of Thank you very much. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Bill. We appreciate your testimony. Any questions from members of the committee?
Thank you again. We appreciate your patience as well. Next up, Tony Bettencourt followed by Doug Groom and Barbara Groom.
Tony, are you here?
We'll move on to Doug Brum and then Bob Brum.
SPEAKER19 - Alright. Mister Chairman, if I could.
SPEAKER3 - I I
SPEAKER19 - think that these were
SPEAKER3 - folks who I'm sure that they
SPEAKER19 - were intending
to testify in favor of house6557 3358, which is legislation I filed to require mass aeronautics to collect
noise report data. They had trouble with the link earlier, and I believe they have decided to send written testimony, so I would appreciate it. Maybe you give them another chance to testify, but appreciate the the consideration, and I think that's what happened.
SPEAKER1 - Yeah. Would that also include Joseph Bernaldi as well as your
SPEAKER19 - knowledge? Yes. Yes. Thank you. Several Dambers,
SPEAKER1 - Dudley Sanders. committee will make note that it looks like Tony Bettencourt, Doug and Barbara Roomb, as well as Joseph Fonaldi. We're all here to testify in support of representative Karen's Bill House 3358. Again, we -- --
SPEAKER19 - parts. Yeah. Sorry.
SPEAKER1 - Oh, yeah. Sorry.
SPEAKER31 - No. It's just been we
SPEAKER35 - we had trouble we had trouble finding the wrong
SPEAKER1 - -- Oh, it's okay. Would you would you like to testify? Please. Yes. Plea, please.
SPEAKER35 - We we here.
SPEAKER1 - Join us here.
6617 SPEAKER86617 -6617 Yeah.6617 Great. Thank you. We've got chronic
SPEAKER35 - coughs. together.
SPEAKER1 - Yeah. No. Absolutely. Can we just see your state leader? Sorry. You I did not see you on the the list of folks that had signed up.
SPEAKER14 - So -- Well, I -- I see
SPEAKER1 - you on otherwise, we would have called you ahead. So you don't want to
SPEAKER7 - be -- No.
SPEAKER10 - No. We we
SPEAKER35 - we felt very sorry about
SPEAKER1 - --
SPEAKER3 - Oh.
SPEAKER1 - --
SPEAKER35 - but we tried.
SPEAKER3 - Yeah. But,
SPEAKER1 - anyways, for years, I still get lost every
SPEAKER35 - Well It's
SPEAKER1 - a complicated building to navigate. Thank you so much for your time and patience, and you're welcome. You test by the floor as well.
AMY MCCOY - CONCERNED CITIZEN - HB 3358 - Well, we thank we thank both Chairman and we thank the committee. We really appreciate it. My name's Amy McCoy. I live on the6658 edge of my family's 65 Acre Hay Farm bought back in 1938,6662 and I'm from Air, Massachusetts. And our farm feels like it has been industrialized by noise from concentrated flight school maneuvers. I support rep Keran's bill, 3358. It's a very good start. It's not easy to make a noise complaint against prop planes here in Massachusetts. It really is not. I believe any state noise complaint program should also, though, have a mechanism that reports those noise complaints onto the FAA people here in their communities don't have to file noise complaints twice.
FAA and airports play this game, and the game goes like this. they point fingers at the who is responsible for noise. Now the problem with that as we all wait for this impasse to con to get realized. Citizens in their homes suffer the consequences and wreck regional pilots take away people's right to the use quiet use and enjoyment of their homes because they want their freedom to fly. People with aircraft,6730 noise, and led pollution concerns face indifference, ridicule, and even retribution throughout the country. Since 2000, my husband, Dave and I, have been involved with community groups in both Aaron Groton, appealed for noise relief directly to flight schools, been part of a nuisance lawsuit. For aviation noise, filed noise complaints with FAA and mass6753 port and mass DOT aeronautics.
Contacted both governor Baker, Governor Healey, seeking assistance, worked with to create legislation with local state legislators written federal legislation with similarly affected people in groups from Alabama, Colorado, Massachusetts It's Florida, New York, California, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, South Dakota, and in February, presented our asked to congresswoman, Lori Trehami. I also volunteer with the Concord based Quiet Communities, Quiet Americans Guys Group. Noise is a known health hazard, and there is no safe level of lead in children. I'm here today not only support 3358. And to ask for help in elevating this problem in the Commonwealth and to use what powers our state has because there are powers for the state to deal with noise.
We have we have regulations such as 310 CMR7.10 to bring a balance to those of us on the ground and the recreational piloting community. And I would like to make 1 response to Sean Collins of the AOPA. He mentioned ANCA about ANCA saying that there's no way It's about the Airport noise and capacity act of 1990. However, ANCA does not apply to aircraft that are 12,500 pounds or less. And so when we're talking about recreational aircraft, ANCA doesn't apply. Thank you. However, the FAA grant assurance program, the money the airports get. Now that is where these general aviation airports, the flight schools, that's where restrictions are coming from. They're coming because the Fed is giving money to these to support the little air ports, the municipal airports, and those are where those restrictions come from. It's not from ANCA. Thank you.
DAVID MCCOY - HB 3358 - Thank you, chairman Crighton and chairman Straus and to this committee for allowing me to present testimony on H.3358. My name is David McCoy, and my home is at Top of the Hill Farm in Air, Massachusetts. I support this bill, but I am here today to express that the state needs to do6902 more to promote quiet in people's6904 homes across the Commonwealth. 20years ago, this month, my wife and I became part of a nuisance tort suit for noise against recreational Handscomb based aerobatic pilots and a recreational general aviation flight school. An aerobatics stunt6925 and flight school training box6927 has been established at my6929 home and over my town. We are 20 miles from Hanscomb.
The suit settled out of court in 2008. In 2015, we were back in court, the6944 defendants had violated the terms of our confidential settlement agreement that was agreed upon in 2008 again settled in 2017 Unfortunately, the state has played a part in emboldening the piloting community's sense of privilege. In 2016 MassDOT aeronautics redacted part of 702 CMR regarding negligent operation of aircraft. In 2018, Rep Hogan from Stowe, Massachusetts petitioned to remove language from Chapter 90 Section 46, that former state representative Harrington stated would be an open invitation for pilots to harass people on the ground. We are those people.
Under current conditions, I find it impossible to live at my home and seek to be away from it every day the weather presents7002 navigable conditions for flight training maneuvers. My town, air, has become a7008 noise dump for recreational pilots. We are far away from any airport and have the reasonable expectation to not be bombarded by flight instructors, namely East Coast Aero Club, New England's largest flight school, noise is a state and local issue. The state does have power over noise, but currently does not have the will to use it. Please work with the citizens to protect the Massachusetts constitutional right to the quiet use and enjoyment in our homes. Thank you very much for hearing us. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER3 - Thank you.
SPEAKER1 - Thank you. We appreciate your testimony, and, again, you hope your family's patience here today and for sharing your personal story. Any questions from members of committee.
SPEAKER19 - If I could, Mister Chairman. Yes. representative.
SPEAKER3 - Thank you.
KERANS - Thank you all. Thank you for coming. Great civics lesson for your for your kids. Amy, you mentioned the federal legislation. I just7067 did want to clarify that there is nothing in this bill that requiring or forcing the adoption of a good neighbor policy. But I was curious about the clarification that you were making about aircraft below a certain weight being exempt from the federal requirement. Could you could you just it's explain that again?
A MCCOY - Well, I Ithink what I what I was referring Sean Collins referred to that airport noise and capacity act of 1990, and that is that was that was more for the7111 transportation bigger aircraft, a federal policy for getting between airports in the country. And so However, it has a it has a weight requirement 12,500 pounds and so a lot of what airports will do is say that, oh, we can't do anything about putting in noise policies because of ANCA And I just wanted to say that ANCA doesn't apply to the small piston driven aircraft. It it's something that I think it's not that there aren't access issues with federal grant programs in that you know.
The money that that the FAA is giving to airports, that does come with some restrictions. But to have an airport say that, oh, we can't we can't put in in noise policies for the flight schools. It's a you know, it's7173 kind of Not quite the case. Maybe it's maybe it's splitting hairs a little bit, but it's not quite, you know, the ANCA is for the bigger stuff. The grant assurance affect smaller things. And I think I think that's just information that should be shared for people on the ground because this is this stuff is hard to figure out. It's really hard to figure out.
KERANS - Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
Thank you. Thanks so much. Yeah.
SPEAKER1 - Thank you again. We appreciate your testimony and time. Thank you. Thank you very much. So so I was jumping around earlier other folks who wanted to testify, miss. I believe Joseph Arnaldi is with us and had his hand raised. I apologize for that, Joseph, are you still here? Oh.
SPEAKER6 - Can you hear me? Yes. I can. Can
SPEAKER3 - you hear me?
SPEAKER1 - Yes. I can.
SPEAKER6 - Okay.
So I can read in?
SPEAKER1 - Yes, please. The floor is yours.
SPEAKER26 - Yeah. Yeah.
JOSEPH RINALDI - CONCERNED CITIZEN - HB 3358 - My name is Joseph Rinaldi. I live on 9 Anthony Lane in Danvers Bass, and I'm here to support Bill H.3358 and to let you all know that where I live was once a really nice, quiet, in peaceful neighborhood for at least 35 years. I don't even know that Beverly Airport existed. And then overnight, just around the pandemic time, we saw an increase that was beyond belief that that They were they were, like, all of a sudden, like, about7266 150 planes on average were flying over our homes, over our neighborhood, over our high school, where kids are going in and out of every day, and7276 they all came from Beverly, municipal airport.7278 The runway that they were taken off from was the runway that runs parallel or 927 to our homes.
And by doing that, they would they climb slowly into their, you know, position making a huge amount huge amounts of noise and deafening more for power planes, and it's sometimes a 32nd interval so that we can't even enjoy how yards converse with our neighbors, invite friends over for a barbecue. When we complained to the airport director, then Gloria Bolton, she would just sarcastically respond that it was our fault for moving near an airport. Right? I'm here to say that there are many houses there before the airport came if you're going to use that argument. But in any case, the truth of the matter is that they stop using the preferred runway.
Which is the runway that leads to open spaces, which is 1634. as outlined by the good day of apology that was drawn up by the then airport director, Robert Mosaic, which had the planes flying over spaces. So nobody was bothered, really. You know? And they were awfully stay away from heavily populated areas. like ours in January. And it also includes, you know, the high school here. We were never told the truth in in terms of why we had this tremendous update. Until instead of we were told by this lady, director Bullian, that there was an uptick, you know, in in in business because of the pandemic that we were hearing to play more because we were home more.
That we had our windows open more, all of that, you know, to answer a query about why all of a sudden we could get bombarded. We never told what the reason was, but we know it was because they were following that good naval policy would have which had them going over the other runway that took them out over open areas and not over our heavily populated neighborhoods. But, anyhow, anyhow, So these flight training schools continue to make our lives miserable with these pearl harbor like constant fly overs. As I said, sometimes over a 150 a7411 day on average, and that's not exaggeration compared to the 35 years7415 We don't even know how to see one plane here, maybe once every month or two, whatever.
As we felt, he's insensitive flight training school. Some of us are suffering stress related, healthy, issues such as high blood pressure, hypertension, please as a stop to vote so that our noise complaints will be taken seriously and there will be significant reductions and takeoffs over our Pampers neighborhoods. And by the way, I know we're not here for this. But by the way, these recreation is propellant driven plane, used leaded poisonous gas, which was automobile some 30 years ago, but we have a government that believes in climate change in protecting our environment, but allow our kids to be irreversibly brain damage by poisonous, let it plain exhaust. So that recreate so the recreational pilots can enjoy themselves at our kids that spent so big. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Joseph. We appreciate your testimony. Any questions for members of the committee? Thank you again for your your patience and for sharing your thoughts here today. I apologize. We have a representative, Minnie Dom. Here, I'm sorry I didn't call you up sooner. You're welcome to come test by now. Thank you.
REP DOMB - HB 3359 - SB 2204 - HB 3388 - SB 2207 - Thank you. And please no apology. I really appreciate you taking me out of order. Good afternoon. shares and members of the committee. Wonderful to see you in person. The first thing I want to do is thank you for navigating hybrid hearings and doing so with a real respect and facilitation for the increased participation. I'm just in awe of my colleagues and your ability to do that. And I'm coming from Western Massachusetts, I'm a big proponent hybrid hearing, so I'd like them to continue even if there are sometimes present7524 challenges. I came just briefly to identify my support for three bills. H.3359 and S.2204. And, actually, I think, the short title is to better interactions with the Police. I
t's also known as the blue envelope bill, and I'll talk a little bit about it. H.3388, which provides ID to people who are homeless. and S.2207, which is the gender identity on state forms, which is a senate bill because I file the house bill, and the clerks send them to different places in their great wisdom. They send you the Senate bill, and they send state admin, the house bill. And I'm thrilled with that. because it means that by the time it gets out of both committees, it's been vetted by about half the legislature. So first, on the blue envelope bill, you may have already heard from Comerford about this. This bill was the brainchild of a student at UMass Amherst who worked closely with the chief of police for UMass Amherst.
In developing this, a way for police officers to recognize if people they've pulled over or that they're interacting with might need additional sort of skills on their or understanding about those person's circumstances. My understanding is that the chief of police for UMass Amherst actually has shot this bill around to local7603 police chiefs and have gotten a lot of7605 support for it. So I'm all in7607 favor. It's an idea that's come from the community that's most affected, both in terms of the person who may be pulled over by a police officer or have an interaction as well as the police, and the stakeholders all seem to think it's a great idea. So I urge your positive and favorable action. on that bill. On H.3388 to provide ID to personal identification card to, yeah, adults and youth who are experiencing homelessness.
I have experience with the need for this in my previous position before I was elected to the house. I was the executive director of an organization known as the Amherst Survival which worked a lot with people of all different income levels and particularly people who were homeless. And we saw a lot of folks who were experiencing homelessness who needed an ID and couldn't get it because our ID system is sort of residential bias. You know, if you have home. If you have a residential address, not a post office box, not an address that a nonprofit organization. May have provided you with being able to use you can get an ID. And if you don't, then you can't. And so much relies on this ID and specifically for folks applying for positions.
With that being more and more online, they need to be able to show some kind of ID to be able document who they are. I urge favorable action on that. And in terms of S.2207, I want to thank you for advancing this in the past. It's a little bit different this year. The house bill is a little bit different, and the senate bill aligns with it. In that we that 1 section that's that sort of urges agencies that work with youth to make sure that they have information about the bills. assuming the bill goes through and people have the opportunity to change their gender to a non binary option, this bill would now ask youth workers. Who either are DCF, Department of Mental Health, Division of u Department of Youth Services to make sure that youth know about it, and that section was put in at the request .
And great advocacy of the commission on LGBTQ youth who said this is great except how are youth going to find out about it? And so we kind of put that section in, work it with them to say, well, it would make sense that if this becomes state law, which we hope it does, that the state agencies that work with youth would also make sure that they're aware that this is an option for them. I just want to remind and I know this it's a gentle reminder because I know the committee doesn't need7750 it. that currently, the passport agency does have non binary options on passports, which are also looked at as national security documents, and they do not require medical documentation for it. It becomes a choice of the person seeking it. And this bill, I think, is in that spirit that we're looking for people to that choice. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, representative. We appreciate your kind words and testimony as always. Any questions in terms of the committee? Thank you so much.
SPEAKER9 - Thank you so much for your great work. So appreciate it. Thank you. Take care.
SPEAKER1 - I'm going to jump back into most of those signed up to testify remotely. We have Scott Schafer Duffy followed by Thomas Hurley in Pamela Goodwin. Scott, are you here.
Yes. We can, loud and clear. The floor is yours. Wonderful.
SCOTT SCHAEFFER-DUFFY - SAINTS FRANCIS & THÉRÈSE CATHOLIC WORKER HOUSE - HB 3296 - SB 2281 - I am from Worcester, Massachusetts where my wife and I have lived and worked in a Catholic worker house of the Saints Francis & Thérèse Catholic Worker House for almost 40 years. We shelter homeless men and women, and we work for peace and justice to education and nonviolent direct action. And coincidentally, the bill regarding the homeless and identification came up today, and it wasn't what I was initially asking to speak about, but I support that bill. Would be I can tell you from our personal experience.
Lack of identification, identification is a is a terrible burden for homeless people. But the issue I really want to address is Bill 3296. I, as a peace activist, have had the opportunity to go to deliver assistance and to do nonviolent action to Afghanistan, to Iraq, to Bosnia, Darfur, Sudan, to Nicaragua, to Israel, Palestine in Northern Ireland. I am intimately familiar with the evil and horror and destruction of war. I am also a direct descendant of 3 signers of the declaration of independence, and know that those people, 1 of their main motivations in wanting independence from Britain was to prevent the involuntary servitude through a forced draft.
And while slavery is a terrible thing, slavery doesn't go as far as to compel those who are slaves to kill on command which the military draft does. I was in high school when the draft was repealed, and I saw its impact on my older brother and friends of his, some of whom were killed in Vietnam. And when Jimmy Carter reintroduced registration for7921 the draft, It was obvious to me and many critics that he was doing so to move himself more to the right for the upcoming election versus Ronald probably versus Ronald Reagan. And that that7936 proposal registration was as several people have already testified that.
Basically, a boom toggle. It doesn't really advance that the cause of registration, it costs money. And given the United States government's recent argument of from Democrats, Republicans about how to balance the budget. It seems to me that that should be repealed. not to respect individuals' consciences, but also to prevent spending ways to begin to do when there are so many human needs. And so I strongly support you in opposing this this bill and continuing to respect7980 the rights of individuals in Massachusetts to7984 take a conscious a conscientious stand in our position to war and not be immediately enrolled into something which violates many people's individual consciences. Thank you. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Scott. We appreciate your patience and testimony. Any questions from members of the7999 committee? Saying, thank you again. We want to now go to Thomas Hearly, Pamela Goodwin, and Scott Dilead.
Scott sorry. Yeah.
Sorry. Thomas, are you are you here?
SPEAKER25 - Yes. Can you hear me okay?
SPEAKER1 - Yes. We can. Thank you.
THOMAS HURLEY - MASSACHUSETTS AIRPORT MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION - HB 3358 - Oh, alright. Thanks. Thanks very much for allowing me to speak with you today. Yeah. Chairman Straus and Chairman Crighton and honorable numbers of the Transportation Committee. My name is Tom Hurley. I'm the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Airport Management Association, I'm also a commissioner at the Plymouth Municipal Airport and a private pilot as well, and I wanted to today just represent the interests of the states 38 public use airports as regards H.3358, which we oppose. for a number of reasons that you've already heard, but I just wanted to stress a couple of points in particular that you might be interested in. All the airports in the state in one way or another and in their own way have good neighbor and good fly policies.
Airport commissions mean on a regular basis They listen to noise complaints, airport managers are very much in tune with that. And in effect, what the bill hopes to accomplish is already being accomplished at the 38 airports around the state. However, paragraph two of the bill requires municipal and regional airports to record touch and goes and report them on a monthly basis to the State Department of Transportation aeronautics Division. that poses a major problem. The bill supposes that the towers that at the airports in the state the municipal and regional airports have towers to accomplish this recording. It's not true. Only about one quarter of the airports in the state actually have control towers, and even they don't record the type of landing that's being accomplished necessarily.
And there are many types of landings. There's touch and goes as referred to in the bill There's stop and goes. There's taxi backs. There's full stop landings to define one would become very difficult. The second part is that the three quarters of the airports in the state that don't have control towers don't have anybody monitoring takeoffs and landings on a minute by minute basis. It's not intended to be that way. They're called non towered airports for a reason. The aircraft do maintain patterns that are prescribed by the FAA and abide by them but there's no one there recording on a minute by minute basis what's going on. The vast majority of airports have8172 airport commissions. Again, that have monthly meetings and listen to the comments of neighbors and modify their own programs to meet the needs of their own communities and really truly act as the good neighbors that they are.
An example is Plymouth Airport where I'm a commissioner. We ask and make it8195 a requirement that there are no touch and go landings by either of our flight schools or any flight school between 9:00 in in the evening and 6:00 in the morning. and people abide by that rule because8207 they want to be good neighbors. It's been established for a long time and we respect the neighbors, the commission does, and as do the flight schools. And that type of rule exists in a lot of airports. So consequently, we just oppose this bill H.3358 for a number of reasons that have already been stated, but I just wanted to make the particular point that enforcing it by requiring these reporting requirements, it's just impossible. There8245 are not the resources available to do it. So thanks very much for listening. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Thomas. We appreciate your testimony. Inpatient, any questions from the members of the committee? Thank you again. Next, we're going to8260 turn8260 to Pamela Goodwin, Scott Delete, and and Tanya Del Rio.
Do we have Pamela?
SPEAKER38 - This is Good morning. This is Pamela. Can you hear me?
SPEAKER1 - Yes. We can. Thank you, Pamela.
PAMELA GOODWIN - WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS NETWORK - HB 3368 - SB 2207 - Thank you for giving me the time to testify today. I'm a member8281 of two Chappa subcommittees. I belong to the mass Coalition for the homeless Housing Greenfield. Greater Boston Interfaith And8290 Western Mass Coalition for the Homeless. You've already heard from Pamela Schwartz, who is a colleague of mine and Julia Garvey, who's from Mass Collision for the homeless. I formally said on the board of directors for Mass Union Public House for8307 tenants. My advocacy allows me to attend a group we call the quartet. This is property managers, Mass Narrow, Chappa, MUFF DBIO, and Mass Law Resource Institute. I live in Greenfield Massachusetts currently. I have lived in subsidized public state housing for going on 9 years.
In 2015, I ran for commissioner board seat against a 29 year veteran position and nearly 1. That was the first nail in my coffin. We established a tenant union, then a small housing authority against much resistance. I received a protection order against a commissioner who was a former police dispatcher. That Cooper of8357 Muff and the district judge asked me to file for protection in Worcester Housing Corp. I was the Prose plaintiff on 4 lease violations and worked with Jim McGovern's chief of staff,8371 also having 38373 other advocates. people committed perjury. I did not receive a TRO, the protection, and was only told to go file agreements. Justice Diana Grant's ruling out of the Worcester Court gave me an MPAD case, which I moved to Boston. the condoned bullion became mopping, and eventually
I moved out choosing homelessness over the constant harassment and declining health that I was experiencing. I had a lifeline necklace around my necklace, I dropped to 100 pounds and was wasting away from the flight or flight fight on issue that I had. Leeping in my car at 71. I had a PO box in Uxbridge Mass. When I went to the DMV, I had to register a different car, and I had to renew my driver's license. I found out that they would clicking laminated Social Security8435 card. They sent me back to get bills saying that8439 I was lit I had receive my bills at the PO box. I was assured8444 there wouldn't be no problem getting8446 a mass ID. The woman at the final desk gave me a horrible time and said I could not receive the mass I do. And only get a driver's license for the same amount of money.
She embarrassed me to know him My best friend and neighbor, Beverly, who has dementia, was holding up the line at Staples because she did not have a picture ID to put the text that she wrote. Homeless youth and many others who don't have a driver's license need a free mass ID in order to function in our society as you have heard today. Even though this is off topic, I want to put in a plug for our tenant advocacy build H.3868 by rep Kerans Rausch and Senator Lovely. Jerry Halberstadt from stock bullionpolision.org, and I am a consultant with them for nine years. will gain momentum, and then it will be under the purview of the AGO. Needless to say, we, elderly, impaired in families, in public housing need a whole lot of help from new legislators. I am only one voice among many who cannot be here remotely or in person, and I thank you for your time today. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Pamela. We appreciate your testimony and your patience. Any questions from members of the committee? Seeing done. Thank you again. Next up, we have Scott followed by Tanya and then Noel Sanders. Scott, are you here? I
should also say we are joined by a committee member state8553 senator Walter Timothy as well remotely.
Scott delay. Design on.
Is Tanya Del Rio here?
SPEAKER7 - I'm here.
SPEAKER1 - Tanya, the the floor is yours.
TANIA DEL RIO - MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR CITY OF BOSTON - HB 3388 - HB 3360 - SB 2251 - Thank you. Good afternoon. Chair Crighton chair Straus and all the members of the committee. I am Tanya Del Rio. I head of the committee response team out of the mayor's office for City of Boston, and here to testify on behalf of mayor Michelle Wu. And we want to speak in strong support of an act provide identification to youth and adults experiencing homelessness. And, also, want to thank rep O’Day, Rep Khan and senator Kennedy for filing these bills. Identification is critical to service engagement, to care coordination, and to lifting individuals out of homelessness. I want to share that our coordinated response team that I had is in charge of support people who are going through un sheltered homelessness across the city.
And we do focus a lot on the largest encampment in the area known as Mass and Test. And we've seen our team myself firsthand that without identification, people that are experiencing homelessness prevented from stabilizing their lives. They're prevented from applying from employment, opening financial accounts, then rolling in education programs, connecting with various other social services, including really basic needs attending to really basic needs like medical visits and other things. They they're really this can really further trap them in cycles of extreme poverty and chronic homelessness. In our view, establishing a fee waiver for ID applicants experiencing homelessness Would be removing a significant financial hurdle to this basic necessity.
And although for many people, the cost of an ID wouldn't seem like a substantial figure. too many, as I said, it can post an insurmountable obstacle and you have people kind of making these really heartbreaking trade offs between really basic needs. Do I buy food, water, clothing, or, say, for this week? In addition to the financial barrier accessing ID for people in experiencing homelessness, they're often struggling to meet current requirements for establishing proof of residency. So interview allowing individuals to submit documentation from homeless shelters or other homeless services service providers to establish proof of residency, would really help address long standing barriers and substantially facilitate as to ID for individuals experiencing homelessness.
In our in our experience as well, the struggle kind of getting transportation, going to a one office, getting in line is really affecting people who are going through substance use disorder too. And even though they're trying and engaging in housing support, trying to get on a pathway, I've seen a lot of people get stuff for months in this process while waiting to get identification. The bill would support our efforts help our homeless citizens functioning as full members of society that they are. So whether it's picking up a8767 package from the post office getting a library card, it's just a basic necessity for modern life, and we should make it as busy as possible for everyone to receive- Thank you again for your consideration of this legislation, and I do look forward to answering any questions. SHOW NON-ESSENTIAL DIALOGUE
SPEAKER1 - Thank you, Tanya. We appreciate testifying on behalf of mayor Boston. Any questions from members of the committee? Seeing it on. Thank you again for your patience and testimony. We're going to circle back to Scott delay if he's on Scott, the floor is yours. Oh, good lord.
We'll move on to Noel Sanders and Noel are you on.
Noel Sanders.
At this time, I will ask for anyone either in the audience here in our hearing room or online that wishes to testify that it's not signed up.
Would you please raise your hand or speak?
Sorry. Is that Noelle?
No. I'm sorry. We we if that is you, we could not hear you. Is you know, if you want to try something new with your mic or Looks like you may be muted now as well.
So 1 more time, we'd ask for Scott Delay in Noel Sanders if you could raise your hand8863 on the raise hand function or speak We will recognize you for your testimony.
Okay. And just 1 last call for anybody wishing to testify the joint committee hearing today.
Alright. With that, entertain a motion to close8884 a hearing, so moved. I hear a second. Thank you again, everyone. The joint committee hearing is now closed.
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