TAKE ACTION: ACE ACT HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 22ND
Image of karen Krolak, co-artistic Director of Monkeyhouse, performing at Creative Sector Day at the State House in April 2025. Photography by Steph Craig Studios.
The ACE Act is scheduled for a hearing on Monday, September 22nd at 1 pm
On Monday, September 22, 2025 at 1 PM, the Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities is holding a hybrid hearing at the State House in Room A-1 on bills addressing accessibility. The ACE Act, one of the Creative Sector Agenda priority bills this session, is included in this hearing agenda.
H.224/S.160, An Act improving accessibility in the creative economy, or the “ACE Act,” would create a grant program so that arts, culture, humanities, and interpretive science organizations will have additional resources to make their programs and facilities more accessible to people with disabilities. The ACE Act would be funded through 1/10 of 1% of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services budget and would establish a commission to determine grant criteria and administer the fund. The commission would be made up of a majority of individuals with disabilities and experienced disabilities advocates.
Eligible uses for the fund would include training or comprehensive support for creative for-profit, non-profit and public organizations; individualized consulting services related to improving accessibility; and capital improvements such as installing ramps, elevators, power lifts, signage and Assistive Listening Systems, and curb cuts.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
As part of the legislative process, every bill that’s filed receives a hearing. The goal of hearings is for lawmakers and their staff to receive subject matter expertise and personal stories from experts, advocates, constituents, and other legislators so they can make informed recommendations about legislation. This is a critical moment for the public to express their support or concern for pending legislation. Legislators will advance, revise, or stall legislation based on the feedback they receive from constituents, legislators, and interest groups.
This hearing is a critical opportunity for arts advocates to share their support for the ACE Act. We need you to take action in the following ways:
Testify in person or virtually in support of the ACE Act
Submit written testimony to the Committee
Ask your State Representative and State Senator to co-sponsor the ACE Act
Make sure that you are endorsing the ACE Act
Read more below:
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One of the best things you can do to support this bill is to testify in person or virtually on September 22nd.
Both in-person and virtual attendees must register to testify by Thursday, September 17th at 2 PM.
Attendees testifying virtually will be emailed a link before the hearing to join via Microsoft Teams.
Sign up to testify HERE.
Things to consider when testifying:
If you miss the deadline for registering to testify, you can still go to the State House on the 22nd and sign up to speak in person. Time permitting, the Chairs will call on individuals who sign up to testify on the day of the hearing.
Individuals testifying verbally will have 3 minutes to speak. Those who will be testifying on more than one bill must adhere to the 3-minute time limit as well.
If you would like to testify as a panel, indicate that on the registration form.
Use our verbal testimony template for more guidance.
ADA Accommodations:
If you have accessibility needs, please complete THIS FORM.
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Whether you’re available to testify or not, we strongly encourage you to submit written testimony to the Committee sharing your support. If you do testify, you should still follow up with the Committee with written testimony.
We have created guides and a testimony template to make it easier for you to submit written testimony. The template is only meant to be a template - be sure to customize your testimony with stories and data of your own.
You can submit written testimony on the House Bill (H.224) by emailing Audrey Herrmann (Audrey.Herrmann@mahouse.gov).
You can submit written testimony on the Senate Bill (S.160) to Olivia Mathot (Olivia.mathot@masenate.gov).
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Building support in the House and Senate is a crucial part of advocacy. Call or email your State Representative and State Senator and ask them to co-sponsor H.224/S.160.
You can look up your State Representative and State Senator here.
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By endorsing the ACE Act, you are joining a statewide coalition of arts leaders who are committed to building an inclusive creative sector and economy. Your endorsement helps us build a case with legislators that there is broad support for this proposal.
The deadline to sign up to testify is Thursday, September 18th at 2 PM. Use the link below to learn more and register.
RESOURCE HUB: PREPARING FOR THE HEARING
We encourage you to use our series of hearing and advocacy resources to feel more confident about advocating for the ACE Act.
RESOURCES FOR NONPROFITS
