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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 516 FILED ON: 1/13/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1995
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Michael P. Kushmerek and Sally P. Kerans
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act establishing maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce grants.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Michael P. Kushmerek3rd Worcester1/13/2023Sally P. Kerans13th Essex1/13/2023Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/31/2023Brian W. Murray10th Worcester2/1/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/2/2023Carlos González10th Hampden2/2/2023Rodney M. Elliott16th Middlesex2/3/2023 1 of 5
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 516 FILED ON: 1/13/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1995
By Representatives Kushmerek of Fitchburg and Kerans of Danvers, a petition (accompanied by
bill, House, No. 1995) of Michael P. Kushmerek, Sally P. Kerans and others for legislation to
establish maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce grants. Mental Health,
Substance Use and Recovery.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 4740 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
_______________
An Act establishing maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce grants.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Chapter 6A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 16CC the
2following section:-
3 Section 16DD. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context
4requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-
5 “Health professional shortage area”, a specific geographic area, specific population group
6or specific facility federally designated as having a critical shortage of primary, dental, or mental
7health care providers. 2 of 5
8 “Maternal healthcare desert”, a region where the population has inadequate access to
9maternal healthcare.
10 “Maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce”, mental or behavioral health care
11providers who focus on maternal or perinatal health.
12 “Medically underserved populations”, federally designated populations that have too few
13primary care providers, high infant mortality, high poverty or high elderly population.
14 “Mental or behavioral health care provider”, a health care provider in the field of mental
15or behavioral health, including substance use disorders, acting in accordance with the laws of the
16commonwealth.
17 “Secretary”, the secretary of health and human services.
18 (b) The secretary may award grants to entities to establish or expand programs to grow
19and diversify the maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce.
20 (c) Recipients of grants under this section shall use the grants to grow and diversify the
21maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce by:
22 (1) establishing schools or programs that provide education and training to individuals
23seeking appropriate licensing or certification as mental or behavioral health care providers who
24will specialize in maternal mental health conditions or substance use disorders; or
25 (2) expanding the capacity of existing schools or programs described in paragraph (1) of
26this subsection, for the purposes of increasing the number of students enrolled in those schools or
27programs, including by awarding scholarships for students. 3 of 5
28 (d) In awarding grants under this section, the secretary shall give priority to any entity
29that:
30 (1) has demonstrated a commitment to recruiting and retaining students and faculty from
31medically underserved populations or maternal health care deserts;
32 (2) has developed a strategy to recruit and retain a diverse pool of students into the
33maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce program or school supported by funds
34received through the grant, particularly from medically underserved populations;
35 (3) has developed a strategy to recruit and retain students who plan to practice in a health
36professional shortage area;
37 (4) has developed a strategy to recruit and retain students who plan to practice in an area
38with significant racial, ethnic and rural disparities in maternal health outcomes, to the extent
39practicable; and
40 (5) includes in the standard curriculum for all students within the maternal mental and
41behavioral health care workforce program or school a bias, racism or discrimination training
42program that includes training on implicit bias and racism.
43 (e) The period of a grant awarded to an entity under this section shall be up to 5 years.
44 (f) To seek a grant under this section, an entity shall submit to the secretary an
45application at such time, in such manner and containing such information as the secretary may
46require.
47 (g) The secretary shall provide, directly or by contract, technical assistance to entities
48seeking or receiving a grant under this section on the development, use, evaluation and post- 4 of 5
49grant period sustainability of the maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce programs
50or schools proposed, established or expanded through the grant.
51 (h) The secretary shall collaborate with the executive office of labor and workforce
52development to develop maternal mental and behavioral health care workforce standards to
53measure the efficacy of grants awarded pursuant to this section.
54 (i) As a condition of receipt of a grant under this section for a maternal mental and
55behavioral health care workforce program or school, a recipient of funds shall agree to submit to
56the secretary an annual report on the activities conducted through the grant. The report shall
57include:
58 (1) the number and demographics of students participating in the program or school;
59 (2) the extent to which students in the program or school are entering careers in health
60professional shortage areas designated by the commonwealth, areas with significant racial and
61ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes and maternal health care deserts to the extent such
62data are available; and
63 (3) whether the program or school has included in the standard curriculum for all students
64a bias, racism or discrimination training program that includes training on implicit bias and
65racism, and if so data on maternal mental and behavioral health care outcomes for patients
66belonging to medically underserved populations who receive treatment from such students.
67 (j) Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this section, the secretary shall
68prepare and submit to the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, and post on the 5 of 5
69internet website of the department a report on the effectiveness of the grant program under this
70section at:
71 (1) recruiting students from medically underserved populations;
72 (2) increasing the number of mental or behavioral health care providers specializing in
73maternal mental health conditions or substance use disorders from medically underserved
74populations;
75 (3) increasing the number of mental or behavioral health care providers specializing in
76maternal mental health conditions or substance use disorders working in health professional
77shortage areas; and
78 (4) increasing the number of mental or behavioral health care providers specializing in
79maternal mental health conditions or substance use disorders working in areas with significant
80racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes, as well as maternal health care deserts
81and rural areas, to the extent such data are available.