BOSTON — No one was happier than state Rep. Brad Jones when Gov. Charlie Baker hosted a ceremonial signing Tuesday for Nicky’s Law, the caretaker registry legislation the Lynnfield legislator helped sponsor.
Named after the son of an Auburn woman who fought to create the registry, the state-wide data base will track caregivers who have abused individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The law, according to the State House News Service, essentially creates a ‘do not hire’ list to ensure these individuals are not allowed to continue taking advantage of some of the state’s most vulnerable residents.
Jones, the House Minority Leader who represents Lynnfield as one of the communities in his legislative district, said Nicky’s Law is a top priority among legislation he championed this year.
The law also requires employers contracting with care providers to determine whether an individual is listed on the registry before hiring them. If the applicant is listed, their hiring would be prohibited.
Cheryl Chan, who pushed to get the registry created after her son was abused, told the News Service: “It happens every day. That happens all the time, across Massachusetts and around the country and certainly around the globe, but every step that we can take to somehow curb that abuse is a step forward, not just for Massachusetts but for humanity and the dignity of those that we represent.”
Midway through the 2019-2020 legislative session, Jones said he has authored or co-sponsored priority legislation, including his proposal to establish a statewide sexual assault evidence collection kit (SAECK) tracking system.
Working with the Joyful Heart Foundation, Jones was able to secure language in the 2018 Criminal Justice Reform Law mandating the testing of all sexual assault evidence kits in Massachusetts and establishing a statewide database where survivors can track the progress of their kits from collection through testing.
Jones said the new tracking system will empower sexual assault survivors and provide them with confidential access to critical rape crisis center services and resources.
A $2 million Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) grant from The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) at the US Department of Justice, along with an $8 million appropriation in the Fiscal Year 2019 supplemental budget, helped pave the way for the official launching of the SAECK tracking system in six Massachusetts counties on January 6. The mobile-friendly, web-based tracking system is expected to be fully operational across the state this month.
His Lynnfield-specific legislative initiatives include securing a total of $100,000 for the town’s Office of Prevention-A Healthy Lynnfield over the last two state budget cycles, “with the strong support and cooperation of Senator Brendan Crighton.”
“This funding enabled the town to hire Peg Sallade as its first Substance Abuse Prevention Coordinator in November of 2018,” said Jones.
He noted the town leveraged the money it used to establish A Healthy Lynnfield to obtain two federal grants, including the September, 2019
five-year, $275,000-per-year grant under The Strategic Prevention Framework — Partnerships for Success program.
Last December, Lynnfield received a $125,000 Drug Free Community grant, which is renewable annually for up to five years, with an option for the town to reapply for an additional five years’ worth of funding through a competitive bid process.
Jones also worked with Crighton to pass legislation allowing the town to remove the position of sealer of weights and measures from the provisions of the civil service law.
This change, which first appeared on the April 29, 2019 Town Meeting warrant, provided the town with additional flexibility when filling a vacancy in the post that was created following the retirement of Edward J. Michalski after 40 years of service.
Jones’ other priorities for this legislative year include seeking compensation for cities and towns for costs they incurred implementing the state’s early voting law for the November 8, 2016 state election. His efforts delivered $1,819.70 in reimbursements to Lynnfield.
