Behavioral Health

 

HD3612 - An Act strengthening recovery high schools

Amends the special education stabilization fund to include Recovery High Schools (RHS), increases in the foundation rate per pupil amount RHS can charge, and subject to appropriation, allows RHS to be considered as regional schools for the purposes of transportation reimbursements only. RHS are not special education placements, so districts cannot use circuit breaker money even for SPED students.              

 

HD3621 - An Act relative to diversion to substance use disorder treatment for non-violent drug offenders (Malia/Mayor Walsh)

Creates a new pathway to treatment for court-involved individuals struggling with substance use disorder.

 

HD3609 - An Act providing access to full spectrum addiction treatment services (Malia/Santiago)

Builds on Chapter 258 and ensures adequate access to the full continuum of substance use disorder treatment by requiring insurance companies to cover at least 30 days of detox, CSS, AND TSS (transitional support services).

 

HD3611 - An Act relative to dual diagnosis treatment coverage (Malia/Santiago)

Expands upon Chapter 258 to ensure more complete insurance coverage for the dual diagnosis population within psychiatric facilities.

 

HD3630 - An Act ensuring access to recovery coaches

Mandates health insurance coverage for services rendered by certified Recovery Coaches.

 

HD3632 - An Act protecting children's mental health services

Establishes a Children's Mental Health Ombuds to advocate on behalf of children with mental health disorders and investigate and act on complaints regarding the child’s care.

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HD3635 - An Act improving access to behavioral health services

Directs the MassHealth program to engage with a stakeholder working group to enhance and expand the ability of community-based crisis stabilization service providers who are directly working with MassHealth patients to determine if an admission is appropriate from the community, instead of going through a hospital Emergency Department, thus reducing emergency department boarding for patients in need of inpatient behavioral health services.

 

HD3633 - An Act establishing a behavioral health workforce commission

Creates a Behavioral Health Workforce Commission composed of state officials as well as provider and consumer groups to both study workforce needs and identify reasons for shortages in inpatient and community-based settings.

 

HD3626 - An Act removing administrative barriers to behavioral health services

Removes prior authorization requirements for inpatient mental health services within the MassHealth program, so long as the provider notifies MassHealth within 48 hours of the inpatient admission. While this standard has been adopted by the majority of the commercial health insurers in the state, the MassHealth program still requires prior authorization, which has led to increased emergency department boarding and delayed access to medical necessary care for these patients.

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HD3629 - An Act providing equitable access to behavioral health services for MassHealth consumers

Requires the Secretary of EOHHS to ensure all MassHealth recipients have comparable access to behavioral health services as to other medical services.

 

Civic Engagement

 

HD3608 - An Act relative to election day registration

Allows eligible individuals to register to vote on the day of an election provided that the individual has complied with required identification and residency requirements.

 

Criminal Justice

 

HD3637 - An Act promoting family stability by further reforming criminal offender record information, increasing access to employment and preventing unfair accrual of debt

Requires prisons and Houses of Correction to provide information to persons who are incarcerated to help them avoid the accumulation of massive child support debt which can impede their successful re-entry; prevents the Department of Public Utilities from disqualifying people from becoming employees of the ridesharing industry based on cases that ended in a dismissal, except where there was DUI or similar charge where the person went to an alcohol or other substance use program; and strikes the gaming law job disqualification for felony “theft”.

 

HD3636 - An Act reducing recidivism and promoting family relationships during incarceration

Requires all employees of a correctional institution, jail or house of correction to attend a training session and receive educational information regarding the importance of ongoing visitation to individuals who are incarcerated.

 

HD3635 - An Act providing easier and greater access to record sealing

Allows for automatic CORI sealing.

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Economic Development

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HD3622 - An Act promoting pay transparency and pipeline advancement (Malia/Mayor Walsh)

Requires all companies with more than 100 employees to report the gender and race of employees holding specific management titles; requires the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development to post anonymized data; establishes a Pipeline Promotional Opportunities Fund within the EOLWD and appropriates $25M annually to provide professional development and coaching services to employees who observe a disparity between the overall and their employer’s ratio, to help enhance their prospects for promotion and to improve their employer’s rating.

 

HD3921 - An Act promoting urban agriculture and horticulture

Exempts urban land parcels under small-scale cultivation from local property taxes at rates determined by the municipal or town legislative body.

 

HD3614 - An Act regulating the use of credit reports by employers

Bars employers from considering an employee’s or job applicant’s credit history in making hiring and promotional decisions.

 

Education

 

HD3899 - An Act clarifying parental rights in the administration of standardized tests

Requires districts to grant standardized test exemptions, offer activities to exempted students during testing periods, and solicit input on testing regime changes when exemption rates are high.

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HD3922 - An Act creating assignment levels in the Department of Early Education and Care

Aligns EEC's maximum childcare inspection caseload with nationally recognized guidelines.

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HD3949 - An Act requiring school districts, with the assistance of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, to disclose information about required assessments

Requires school districts to inform parents in a timely way about the number, type, and timing of standardized tests their children will take each year, and each test's effect on student learning and advancement.

 

HD3911 - An Act further redefining teacher for retirement purposes

Reclassifies school nurses alongside other support staff who spend the bulk of their time in school buildings and have significant contact with students for the purposes of calculating retirement benefits.

 

Health Care

 

HD3607 - An Act protecting Massachusetts hospitals and health systems

Creates a comprehensive approach to strengthening our safety-net hospitals and community health centers through payment reform and additional funding for the Community Hospital Revitalization Trust Fund that also seeks to reduce burnout and turnover of hospital workers by banning mandatory overtime while better engaging the entire healthcare team in planning for the delivery of optimal patient care.

 

HD3617 - An Act relative to the health care of minors

Eases barriers that presently make it difficult for homeless youth to consent to emergency medical services.

 

HD3627 - An Act providing access to patient protection services for MassHealth consumers

Allows MassHealth consumers to have denied insurance claims externally reviewed by the Office of Patient Protection once all internal review processes are exhausted.

 

HD3615 - An Act relative to accountable care organizations

Requires MassHealth ACOs to issue an annual public report on baseline pre-ACO expenditures, ACO spending, Community Partner involvement, and other issues.

 

HD3634 - An Act studying outpatient care costs

Directs the HPC in conjunction with CHIA to conduct an analysis and issue a report on incentivizing access to high quality, cost effective outpatient care as a way to increase the transparency of cost, quality and patient access to care among the different providers of outpatient care.

 

HD3628 - An Act relative to emergency and disaster planning for health care providers

Creates protections from liability for health care providers who provide care in good faith during a local disaster or emergency situation.

 

Housing

 

HD3941 - An Act establishing local options for generating affordable housing monies (Malia/Comerford)

Creates a local option for municipalities to impose an excise tax on luxury property sales. The revenue will bolster their affordable housing trust funds.

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HD3619 - An act to ensure positive transition for at-risk youth (Malia/Mayor Walsh)

Requires state-funded residential or custodial youth service providers to craft a comprehensive transition plan that identifies the specific reentry needs of each young person and addresses them before discharge is allowed. The transition plan must address housing (emergency shelters do not count as appropriate housing), continuity of care, health insurance, employment, benefits, and community resources.

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HD3889 - An Act relieving mortgage debt

Aligns Massachusetts tax policy with federal tax policy, which does not count forgiven mortgage debts as income.