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2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 520 FILED ON: 1/13/2023 |
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3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1996 |
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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 | | Michael P. Kushmerek and Sally P. Kerans |
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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 establishing a maternal mental health equity grant program. |
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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:Michael P. Kushmerek3rd Worcester1/13/2023Sally P. Kerans13th Essex1/13/2023Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/31/2023Brian W. Murray10th Worcester2/1/2023Kathleen R. LaNatra12th Plymouth2/1/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/2/2023Rodney M. Elliott16th Middlesex2/3/2023 1 of 6 |
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16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 520 FILED ON: 1/13/2023 |
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17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1996 |
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18 | 18 | | By Representatives Kushmerek of Fitchburg and Kerans of Danvers, a petition (accompanied by |
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19 | 19 | | bill, House, No. 1996) of Michael P. Kushmerek, Sally P. Kerans and others for legislation to |
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20 | 20 | | establish a program to address maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders of |
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21 | 21 | | certain pregnant and postpartum individuals. Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery. |
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22 | 22 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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23 | 23 | | SEE HOUSE, NO. 4741 OF 2021-2022.] |
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24 | 24 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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26 | 26 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court |
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27 | 27 | | (2023-2024) |
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28 | 28 | | _______________ |
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29 | 29 | | An Act establishing a maternal mental health equity grant program. |
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30 | 30 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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31 | 31 | | of the same, as follows: |
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32 | 32 | | 1 Chapter 6A of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 16CC the |
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33 | 33 | | 2following section:- |
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34 | 34 | | 3 Section 16DD. (a) As used in this section, the following words shall, unless the context |
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35 | 35 | | 4requires otherwise, have the following meanings: |
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36 | 36 | | 5 “Culturally congruent care”, care that is in agreement with the preferred cultural values, |
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37 | 37 | | 6beliefs, worldview, language and practices of the health care consumer. |
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38 | 38 | | 7 “Eligible entity”, a: (1) community-based organization serving pregnant and postpartum |
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39 | 39 | | 8individuals, including organizations serving individuals from medically underserved populations 2 of 6 |
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40 | 40 | | 9and other underserved populations; (2) non-profit or patient advocacy organization with |
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41 | 41 | | 10expertise in maternal mental and behavioral health; (3) maternity care provider; (4) mental or |
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42 | 42 | | 11behavioral health care provider who treats maternal mental health conditions or substance use |
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43 | 43 | | 12disorders; (5) public health agencies, including the department of public health or a local public |
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44 | 44 | | 13health department; or (6) federally recognized Indian tribe or tribal organization. |
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45 | 45 | | 14 “Freestanding birth center”, a health facility: (1) that is not a hospital; (2) where |
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46 | 46 | | 15childbirth is planned to occur away from the pregnant woman's residence; (3) that is licensed or |
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47 | 47 | | 16otherwise approved by the commonwealth to provide prenatal labor and delivery or postpartum |
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48 | 48 | | 17care; and (4) that complies with other requirements established by the commonwealth relating to |
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49 | 49 | | 18the health and safety of individuals provided services by the facility. |
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50 | 50 | | 19 “Maternity care provider”, a health care provider who: (1) is a physician, physician |
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51 | 51 | | 20assistant, certified nurse-midwife, nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist; and (2) has a |
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52 | 52 | | 21focus on maternal or perinatal health. |
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53 | 53 | | 22 “Medically underserved populations”, federally designated populations that have too few |
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54 | 54 | | 23primary care providers, high infant mortality, high poverty or high elderly population. |
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55 | 55 | | 24 “Mental or behavioral health care provider”, a health care provider in the field of mental |
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56 | 56 | | 25or behavioral health, including substance use disorders, acting in accordance with the laws of the |
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57 | 57 | | 26commonwealth. |
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58 | 58 | | 27 “Secretary”, the secretary of health and human services. 3 of 6 |
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59 | 59 | | 28 (b) The secretary of health and human services shall establish a program to award grants |
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60 | 60 | | 29to eligible entities to address maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders with |
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61 | 61 | | 30respect to pregnant and postpartum individuals, with a focus medically underserved populations. |
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62 | 62 | | 31 (c) To receive a grant under this section an eligible entity shall submit to the secretary an |
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63 | 63 | | 32application at such time, in such manner and containing such information as the secretary may |
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64 | 64 | | 33require, including how the entity will use funds for activities described in subsection (e) that are |
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65 | 65 | | 34culturally congruent. |
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66 | 66 | | 35 (d) In awarding grants under this section, the secretary shall give priority to an eligible |
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67 | 67 | | 36entity that: |
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68 | 68 | | 37 (1) is partnering, or will partner, with a community-based organization to address |
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69 | 69 | | 38maternal mental health conditions or substance use disorders described in subsection (a); and |
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70 | 70 | | 39 (2) is operating in an area with high rates of adverse maternal health outcomes or |
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71 | 71 | | 40significant racial or ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes. |
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72 | 72 | | 41 (e) An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall use funds for the |
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73 | 73 | | 42following: |
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74 | 74 | | 43 (1) establishing or expanding maternity care programs to improve the integration of |
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75 | 75 | | 44maternal mental health and behavioral health care services into primary care settings where |
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76 | 76 | | 45pregnant individuals regularly receive health care services; |
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77 | 77 | | 46 (2) establishing or expanding group prenatal care programs or postpartum care programs; 4 of 6 |
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78 | 78 | | 47 (3) expanding existing programs that improve maternal mental health and behavioral |
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79 | 79 | | 48health during the prenatal and postpartum periods, with a focus on individuals from medically |
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80 | 80 | | 49underserved populations; |
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81 | 81 | | 50 (4) providing services and support for pregnant and postpartum individuals with maternal |
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82 | 82 | | 51mental health conditions and substance use disorders, including referrals to addiction treatment |
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83 | 83 | | 52centers that offer evidence-based treatment options; |
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84 | 84 | | 53 (5) addressing stigma associated with maternal mental health conditions and substance |
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85 | 85 | | 54use disorders, with a focus on medically underserved populations; |
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86 | 86 | | 55 (6) raising awareness of warning signs of maternal mental health conditions and |
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87 | 87 | | 56substance use disorders, with a focus on pregnant and postpartum individuals from medically |
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88 | 88 | | 57underserved populations; |
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89 | 89 | | 58 (7) establishing or expanding programs to prevent suicide or self-harm among pregnant |
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90 | 90 | | 59and postpartum individuals, including, but not limited to, the moms do care program |
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91 | 91 | | 60administered by the bureau of substance addiction services in the department and the |
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92 | 92 | | 61Massachusetts child psychiatry access program; |
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93 | 93 | | 62 (8) offering evidence-aligned programs at freestanding birth centers that provide maternal |
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94 | 94 | | 63mental and behavioral health care education, treatments, and services, and other services for |
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95 | 95 | | 64individuals throughout the prenatal and postpartum period; |
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96 | 96 | | 65 (9) establishing or expanding programs to provide education and training to maternity |
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97 | 97 | | 66care providers with respect to identifying potential warning signs for maternal mental health |
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98 | 98 | | 67conditions or substance use disorders in pregnant and postpartum individuals, with a focus on 5 of 6 |
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99 | 99 | | 68individuals from medically underserved populations. In the case where such providers identify |
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100 | 100 | | 69such warning signs, offering referrals to mental or behavioral health care professionals; |
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101 | 101 | | 70 (10) developing a website, or other method of publication, that includes information on |
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102 | 102 | | 71health care providers who treat maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders; |
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103 | 103 | | 72 (11) establishing or expanding programs in communities to improve coordination |
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104 | 104 | | 73between maternity care providers and maternal mental or behavioral health care providers who |
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105 | 105 | | 74treat maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders, including through the use of |
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106 | 106 | | 75toll-free hotlines; and |
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107 | 107 | | 76 (12) carrying out other programs aligned with evidence-based practices for addressing |
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108 | 108 | | 77maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders for pregnant and postpartum |
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109 | 109 | | 78individuals, with a focus on medically underserved populations. |
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110 | 110 | | 79 (f) An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall submit annually to the |
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111 | 111 | | 80secretary, and make publicly available, a report on the activities conducted using funds received |
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112 | 112 | | 81through a grant under this section. Such reports shall include quantitative and qualitative |
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113 | 113 | | 82evaluations of such activities, including the experience of individuals who received health care |
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114 | 114 | | 83through such grant. |
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115 | 115 | | 84 (g) Not later than the end of each fiscal year that grants are awarded, the secretary shall |
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116 | 116 | | 85submit to the governor and the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate a report that |
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117 | 117 | | 86includes: |
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118 | 118 | | 87 (1) a summary of the reports received under subsection (f); |
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119 | 119 | | 88 (2) an evaluation of the effectiveness of grants awarded under this section; 6 of 6 |
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120 | 120 | | 89 (3) recommendations with respect to expanding coverage of evidence-based screenings |
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121 | 121 | | 90and treatments for maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders; and |
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122 | 122 | | 91 (4) recommendations with respect to ensuring activities described under subsection (e) |
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123 | 123 | | 92continue after the end of a grant period. |
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