This bill would expand Nicky’s Law to require MassHealth Day Habilitation providers to use the abuse registry established by the original legislation — signed into law in 2020 by former Governor Baker — that I filed during the 191st session.

Nicky’s Law established a registry of care providers found guilty of registrable abuse after Nicky Chan, a young man with a disability, was abused by an employee at a day program he attended. Because no registry existed, this employee, and the witness who never reported the abuse, were able to find employment at another agency. This bill will ensure no individual with a disability will be subject to abuse while receiving services from a MassHealth Day Habilitation program.