Senate Bill 1102 Advances Toward Protecting Families and Saving Lives in Massachusetts

TOGETHER BREAKING THROUGH THE SILENCE FOR CHANGE:

Senate Bill 1102 Advances Toward Protecting Families and Saving Lives in Massachusetts

A powerful campaign for justice reaches a key milestone.

Boston, MA November 19, 2025

A movement rooted in heartbreak is gaining momentum. Senate Bill 1102, filed by Senator Paul Feeney, has cleared major steps and is under review by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, signaling that Massachusetts is moving closer to groundbreaking systemic change.

In a world filled with uncertainty and division, this bill offers something very rare and desperately needed: that my dear friends is HOPE.

-HOPE for families navigating trauma.

-HOPE for survivors seeking safety.

-HOPE for vulnerable people whose voices too often go unheard.

"This bill will protect and save lives."

If passed, this first-in-the-nation legislation will fundamentally reshape the Probate and Family Court system by ensuring that board-certified medical experts assist in critical decisions helping to protect children, survivors of domestic violence, elders, and individuals with disabilities.

> “This bill is more than legislation. It’s also my sister’s legacy. It’s a promise that no other family will suffer like mine,” said one advocate.

Born from Tragedy. Built with Love. Fueled by Hope.

Behind every sentence of this bill lies a life that was cut way too short and a family forever changed.

Fantasia Robinson, a vibrant young woman with a rare form of muscular dystrophy, passed away in 2013 at the age of just 24. Gone way too soon, just months after losing their mother to stage four lung cancer. Fantasia's older sister was in the earliest stages of applying for guardianship and searching for a wheelchair-accessible home to care for Fantasia herself, here in Massachusetts. What happened next was the unthinkable devastation of preventable loss.

Fantasia's sister now a mother to a child with complex medical needs, also a survivor of domestic violence, and a dedicated advocate. Fantasia's sister transformed her grief into action with a shared vision that her and her dear friends had in common . Her efforts, alongside her devoted allies, now fuel the advancement of Senate Bill 1102.

> “Fantasia’s life mattered. If a Medical Panel had existed then, I believe my sister would still be here today. This bill carries her name in spirit. It’s for every vulnerable person who deserves to be seen, heard, and protected.”

Every day, judges in Probate and Family Courts must make really tough decisions involving custody, guardianship, disability, trauma, or life-altering medical conditions often without timely access to qualified non-biased medical expertise.

This bill would change that by:

-Establishing Medical Panels of no fewer than three board-certified physicians

-Offering neutral, science-based medical evaluations to the courts

-Ensuring cases involving trauma, disability, chronic illness, or mental health receive accurate, compassionate, and non-biased expert insight

-Keeping medical panel physicians fully independent of other court-appointed professionals

-Modeling the system after Massachusetts’ long-standing and trusted PERAC (Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission) (PERAC is mainly in place for Employee Disability Retirement)

-This would be the first Medical Panel system of its kind in the United States for Probate and Family Courts.

Who This Bill Will Help

S1102 protects those most at risk:

-Children navigating trauma, special needs, or complex health conditions

-Survivors of domestic violence whose medical realities are frequently misunderstood

-Elders vulnerable to unsafe or uninformed legal decisions

-People with disabilities whose conditions are often misrepresented in court

> “How can we protect people if we don’t understand what they’re going through?” asked one supporter.

“This bill ensures we stop guessing and start listening to the science.”

Key Milestones :

Filed: February 27, 2025

Public Hearing: April 22, 2025

Reported Favorably: June 16, 2025

Current Status: Under review by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means

Next: Senate vote → House vote → Governor’s desk

YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED NOW MORE THAN EVER

Senate Bill 1102 is not just legislation, it is protection, prevention, and hope made tangible.

But this bill cannot pass without public support.

Lawmakers need to hear from the very families they represent, families who know how urgently this change is needed.

Every call matters. Every email matters. Every voice matters.

How You Can Help Right Now

📞 Call your State Senator and State Representative

✉️ Ask them to support and vote YES on S1102

📢 Share this message with others who care

💜 Encourage organizations to endorse the bill publicly

Full Bill Text: https://malegislature.gov/Bill...

Together, we can prevent tragedies.

Together, we can protect our loved ones.

Together, we can bring hope to those who really need it, even in the most uncertain of times.

Massachusetts: Ready to Lead the Nation

If passed, Senate Bill 1102 would make Massachusetts the first state in the nation to require medical expertise in probate and family court decisions. Setting a groundbreaking standard for the entire country.

In Loving Memory of Fantasia Robinson

September 1988 – June 2013

Her light, her strength, and her story now guide a movement to help others.

From one family’s loss comes a state’s chance to lead. And from your voice comes the power to protect thousands more.

TOGETHER WE ARE BREAKING THROUGH THE SILENCE: Senate Bill 1102 Moves Forward to Protect Families and Save Lives in Massachusetts

A heartfelt fight for justice reaches the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. Let's keep it going forward to pass this bill.

"HOPE FOR CHANGE" 💜

#S1102 #FantasiaStrong #HopeForChange #DisabilityJustice #SurvivorSafety #MedicalPanels #FamilyCourtReform #MAleg