THE HEARING
Hearing is WEDNESDAY 6/30 10-1 Virtual – You have to be available when they call you and I think you have no idea when you will be up. Hearing details DEADLINE TO SIGN UP TO GIVE ORAL TESTIMONY WAS FRIDAY 6/25 https://malegislature.gov/Events/Hearings/Detail/3802
****WRITTEN TESTIMONY**** EVERYONE CAN DO THIS
Written testimony may be submitted via email to jointcommittee.covid-19@malegislature.gov. Please include the bill number and “Testimony” within the subject of the email. Online testimony will be accepted until Thursday, July 01 at 5:00 PM. To submit testimony online you need to first create an account for MyLegislature and follow these instructions. If you already have an account click here.
THE BILLS- More dangerous bills – Urgent and timely
The Government Relations Committee is recommending these bills for the 2021-22 legislative session. The recommendations are the result of a process that included extensive input from MTA members but no mention of getting input from Constituents or Parents that we can tell.
Both K-12 and Secondary School Bills will:
*Requires the state to ensure the operation of weekly COVID-19 pooled surveillance testing programs in all public schools at no cost to school districts.
*Directs the state to ensure that all public school staff and students have access to PPE at no cost to school districts.
See section 4 and 5 in these bills (pasted below). We need to make sure IF these bills pass that these sections are amended to make sure they will be OPTIONAL and parents will have the right to OPT OUT
FOR K-12th grade – Hearing 6/30 10-1 Sign up by end of Day Friday 6/25 to testify! An Act to ensure the health and safety of the Commonwealth’s students and educators Senate Bill for K-12 – S.250 Bill S.250 (malegislature.gov)House Bill for K-12 H.3716 Bill H.3716 (malegislature.gov)
FOR SECONDARY EDUCATION / COLLEGE – This hearing already happened 5/18 (no news since) An Act to ensure safe and healthy public higher education campuses Senate Bill for Public higher education/ College and Universities Bill S.835 (malegislature.gov)House Bill for Secondary Education/ College and Universities Bill H.1351 (malegislature.gov)
TAKE ACTION URGENT!!!!
- Reach out to your legislators https://malegislature.gov/Search/FindMyLegislator Tell them you OPPOSE Sections 4 & 5 of Bill S250 and H3716. Tell them medical testing does not belong in schools! (plus pool testing is just dumb and waste of money and resources – more on that coming) All medical testing should be done at the doctors office with full parental consent. PPE must remain OPTIONAL for students and teachers WITHOUT COERCION OR DISCRIMINATION. Parents must retain their right to decline all medical interventions for their minor children. This needs to spelled out clearly in this bill so there is no confusion and the rights of the people are not trampled.
- DEADLINE FOR WRITTEN TESTIMONY IS 7/1.
- EVERYONE. The hearing is 6/30. We need help! We need people to dig into the research and come up with compelling, arguments, links to qualified studies people can submit with testimony. We need more talking points so please if have some good arguments please share. And we need someone that can compile all this data!
TALKING POINTS
We need to drive home that we do not want DPH to have free rein to make any of our decisions, especially those that infringe on our Rights. ex: rights to privacy, right to body autonomy. Please reach out to your legislators to request changes or oppose sections relevant to PPE and required weekly pooling testing.
- It is extremely important to get our legislators to understand that we DO NOT want the department of public health making decisions for us without going through legislation- especially in regards to any procedures for medical devices. They are there to give suggestions and to help guide but not to be given free reign in regards to items that impede on our constitutional rights.
- Mandatory invasive testing weekly or more, imposed by law is government overreach. Especially when performing these invasive procedures on asymptomatic children and or children who have already had Covid and have natural immunity. Invasive procedures/testing should never be required.
- The Department of Public Health is there to give suggestions to individuals to maintain their own safety, not to have direct input with creating laws that impede on our fundamental rights including the rights to privacy and body autonomy. It has already been determined that asymptomatic people do not spread covid nor do People who have natural immunity from prior covid infection.
- Invasive face coverings must be OPTIONAL. PPE is fine to have available in schools for those who would like to use it, PPE of any type should not be made mandatory, this bill must be adjusted to ensure the PPE including masks will not be mandated at any point in time for any Teacher or Student at any school and those that choose not to will not be segregated or coerced. OSHA testing shows masks have caused more harm than good, they do not prevent the spread of viruses and can harbor other dangerous viruses and bacterias that are more detrimental to children’s health. Children have suffered fainting, facial fungus, facial yeast, oxygen deprivation, increased fatigue, face sores caused by friction.
SECTION 4 & 5
SECTION 4. Notwithstanding any general or special law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the department of elementary and secondary education, in consultation with the department of public health, shall ensure the operation of COVID-19 pooled surveillance testing programs, consistent with public health best practices and relevant guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in all public school districts, for students and employees, on a weekly basis or more frequently. Said testing programs, including but not limited to service provider contracts, testing supplies, follow-up individual testing, personal protective equipment, and compensation for staff associated with testing, shall be operated at no cost to the public school districts and shall be paid for by available state funds or eligible federal funds committed to the commonwealth to provide financial assistance in response to the 2019 novel coronavirus pandemic. The testing programs in each school district shall cover employees and students at the elementary, middle and high school levels and shall be operated in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 150E of the General Laws. Nothing in this section shall restrict or limit more protective or stringent school district or local government mandates, policies or guidance in response to the 2019 novel coronavirus pandemic.
SECTION 5. Notwithstanding any general or special law, rule or regulation to the contrary, and in accordance with guidance issued by the department of elementary and secondary education, the department of public health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the department of elementary and secondary education shall ensure that employees and students in all public school districts have access to face coverings, masks and other personal protective equipment to prevent exposure to COVID-19; provided, that the district shall provide any additional personal protective equipment necessary for conducting COVID-19 testing; and provided, that said face coverings, masks, personal protective equipment, and any additional personal protective equipment necessary for conducting COVID-19 testing shall be provided at no cost to the public school districts and shall be paid for by available state funds or eligible federal funds committed to the commonwealth to provide financial assistance in response to the 2019 novel coronavirus pandemic. Nothing in this section shall restrict or limit more protective or stringent school district or local government mandates, policies or guidance in response to the 2019 novel coronavirus pandemic.
We need help! We need people to dig into the research and come up with compelling, arguments, links to qualified studies people can submit with testimony. We nee more talking points so please if have some good arguments please share. And we need someone that can compile all this data! Show up tonight if you can at 8:30 in Mass Against Mandates.