By Bob Katzen

Testimony on a bill establishing a Registry of Caretakers who have abused persons with an intellectual disability or developmental disability was given at a hearing before the Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities Committee. The measure requires service providers to check the registry prior to hiring an individual as a caretaker and prohibits the hiring if the person’s name is in the registry.

“The intent of the legislation is to provide an important layer of safety for the most vulnerable population among us,” said the bill’s sponsor Rep. Richard Haggerty (D-Woburn).

A similar bill was unanimously approved by the Senate in July 2018 and sent to the House Ways and Means Committee which never acted on the bill and instead let it die at the end of the 2018 session.