Chapter 19B

Section 1. There shall be a department of developmental services, in this chapter called the department, and a commissioner of developmental services who shall have and shall exercise exclusive supervision and control of the department. All action of said department shall be take…

Section 10. The superintendent of any state school, or the director of any intellectual disability facility of the department, who has reason to believe that a crime which is punishable by imprisonment in the state prison has been committed by or upon any person on the premises o…

Section 12. The department shall establish a comprehensive program of community intellectual disability services which shall include state schools and other facilities of the department and shall establish standards for the development of persons with an intellectual disability a…

Section 12A. The department, subject to appropriation, shall establish a comprehensive program of community developmental disability services and shall establish standards for the development of programs in appropriate geographic areas to ensure access to needed services. The com…

Section 13. The department shall develop and maintain, subject to appropriation and in accordance with its standards, comprehensive community intellectual disability services and community developmental disability services including specialized services for both children and adul…

Section 14. The department may from time to time adopt such rules and regulations as it deems necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter, and may amend or repeal the same.

Section 15. (a) The department shall issue for a term of two years, and may renew for like terms, a license, subject to revocation by it for cause, to any private, county or municipal facility or department or ward of any such facility which offers to the public residential or da…

Section 15A. (a)(1) The department shall issue a license, for a term of 2 years, to any program that offers residential or day care services to the public and provides treatment for persons with a developmental disability; provided, that prior to issuing or renewing a license the…

Section 16. Stationary engineers, steam firemen, school teachers and head farmers employed in intellectual disability facilities of the department and, except as otherwise provided by the civil service law and rules, the classified labor service of the department, shall be exempt…

Section 17. The department shall provide transportation for persons with an intellectual disability or a developmental disability with respect to educational, habilitational or day care services provided pursuant to section thirteen. The department shall take appropriate steps to…

Section 18. Subject to approval by the secretary of health and human services, the commissioner may enter into interagency agreements with the commissioner of mental health or the office of Medicaid for the coordinated regulation of or for the coordinated or joint management of c…

Section 19. (a) As part of the department's licensure and background record check process, the department, prior to issuing any license, shall conduct fingerprint-based checks of the state and national criminal history databases, as authorized by Public Law 92–544. The fingerprin…

Section 2. The secretary of health and human services shall appoint, with the approval of the governor, a commissioner of developmental services who shall serve at the pleasure of the secretary and may be removed by the secretary at any time, subject to the approval of the govern…

Section 20. (a) Each person providing residential or support services with the potential for unsupervised contact with persons with an intellectual or developmental disability in any department program or its contracted agency vendor programs, as well as any household members, ag…

Section 3. The commissioner shall appoint, with the approval of the secretary of health and human services, a person qualified to serve as deputy commissioner of developmental services. Said deputy commissioner shall perform such duties as the commissioner may determine and shall…

Section 4. The commissioner shall, subject to appropriation, appoint such other assistant, associate or deputy commissioners as the commissioner may determine to be necessary or desirable to carry out the work of the department. Such other assistant, associate or deputy commissio…

Section 5. The commissioner shall appoint a member of the Massachusetts bar to serve as legal counsel to the commissioner. Such legal counsel shall devote full time to his duties. Such legal counsel shall have been a member of the bar for not less than six years and shall have be…

Section 6. The commissioner may establish a program for the training of residents in professional disciplines as required by departmental programs. Such residents shall be eligible for training grants from the commonwealth. Recipients of said grants shall be exempt from the provi…

Section 7. The state facilities under the control of the department shall be the state schools, and such other mental retardation facilities as the commissioner from time to time shall designate or approve pursuant to the regulations of the department.

Section 8. When a vacancy occurs in the position of superintendent of a state school of the department, or of director of any other mental retardation facility of the department, the commissioner shall appoint to such a vacancy a person who has such educational qualifications and…