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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2370 FILED ON: 1/19/2023 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1965 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Ruth B. Balser |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act relative to ensuring quality mental health services in state correctional facilities. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Ruth B. Balser12th Middlesex1/19/2023Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire2/17/2023 1 of 1 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2370 FILED ON: 1/19/2023 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1965 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Balser of Newton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1965) of Ruth |
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| 19 | 19 | | B. Balser and Lindsay N. Sabadosa relative to quality mental health services in state correctional |
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| 20 | 20 | | facilities. Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery. |
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| 21 | 21 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 22 | 22 | | _______________ |
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| 23 | 23 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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| 24 | 24 | | (2023-2024) |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | An Act relative to ensuring quality mental health services in state correctional facilities. |
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| 27 | 27 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 28 | 28 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 29 | 29 | | 1 SECTION 1: Section 1 of Chapter 19 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2after the third paragraph: |
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| 31 | 31 | | 3 The commissioner of mental health shall have supervision over the provision of mental |
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| 32 | 32 | | 4health services to prisoners in the custody of the department of correction, including review and |
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| 33 | 33 | | 5approval of any contract between the department of correction and any other entity concerning |
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| 34 | 34 | | 6the provision of mental health services, and shall establish minimum standards for the effective |
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| 35 | 35 | | 7delivery of such services. At least once each six months the commissioner shall audit each state |
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| 36 | 36 | | 8correctional facility to determine compliance with the minimum standards. |
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| 37 | 37 | | 9 SECTION 2: Section 17A of Chapter 127 of the General Laws is hereby amended in |
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| 38 | 38 | | 10paragraph (a) by inserting after the words “qualified mental health professional”, the following:- |
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| 39 | 39 | | 11“, and shall be under the supervision of the department of mental health” |
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