April 29, 2009

The Massachusetts House of Representatives today voted in favor of an amendment to the FY10 budget that requires the Patrick Administration to complete an extensive study and cost analysis before the administration proceeds further with plans to close any state residential facilities for the mentally retarded.  

Amendment #231, filed by State Representative Angelo Scaccia, received strong bi-partisan support within the House. In the course of the debate, several legislators argued passionately in favor of the amendment including Representatives Vincent Pedone, Karyn Polito, Ann Gobi, David Sullivan; Todd Smola and George Peterson. 

The text of the amendment is as follows:

the department shall take no action to reduce the client population of any state residential-based facility for the mentally retarded, including intensive individual supports, for the purpose of closing said state institutions, and no steps shall be taken to close said institutions through attrition, layoffs or any other means until a study of any such reduction or closing shall be completed, and the general court shall have approved by law any such reductions or closing; provided further, that the secretary for administration and finance shall conduct said study, which shall examine the costs, benefits and quality of maintaining said institutions and shall identify alternative methods of providing the services currently provided by said institutions, and said secretary shall report in writing the findings and recommendations of said study or studies to the house and senate committees on ways and means not later than December  1, 2011”.