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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3837 FILED ON: 1/20/2023 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2003 |
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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 | | Mathew J. Muratore |
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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 mental health and suicide prevention. |
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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:Mathew J. Muratore1st Plymouth1/20/2023Susannah M. Whipps2nd Franklin1/25/2023Brian W. Murray10th Worcester1/27/2023Ryan M. Hamilton15th Essex1/30/2023Joseph D. McKenna18th Worcester1/31/2023David K. Muradian, Jr.9th Worcester2/6/2023Alyson M. Sullivan-Almeida7th Plymouth2/9/2023David Allen Robertson19th Middlesex2/16/2023Margaret R. Scarsdale1st Middlesex2/17/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/18/2023Jennifer Balinsky Armini8th Essex2/21/2023 1 of 3 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3837 FILED ON: 1/20/2023 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2003 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Muratore of Plymouth, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2003) of |
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| 19 | 19 | | Mathew J. Muratore and others relative to mental health and suicide prevention. Mental Health, |
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| 20 | 20 | | 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 mental health and suicide prevention. |
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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.There shall be established the Massachusetts Commission on Suicide |
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| 30 | 30 | | 2Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Management to be comprised of seven members; The |
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| 31 | 31 | | 3Governor or his/her designee, the Attorney General or his/her designee, the Secretary of Health |
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| 32 | 32 | | 4and Human Services or his/her designee, the Commissioner of The Department of Mental Health |
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| 33 | 33 | | 5or his/her designee, the Commissioner of Executive Office of Public Safety and Security or |
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| 34 | 34 | | 6his/her designee, the Speaker of the House or his/her designee, and the Senate President or |
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| 35 | 35 | | 7his/her designee. |
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| 36 | 36 | | 8 Said commission shall examine the state of suicide prevention and mental health crisis |
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| 37 | 37 | | 9management in the Commonwealth. The commission will include in its study emergency and |
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| 38 | 38 | | 10outpatient care needs, inpatient and long-term care needs, facility and infrastructure needs, public |
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| 39 | 39 | | 11information and outreach; professional training needs and potential shortages, establishing a 2 of 3 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 12dedicated fund suitable to accept donations from charitable organizations for said needs and |
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| 41 | 41 | | 13other means of funding sources. |
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| 42 | 42 | | 14 Said commission shall examine current and proposed suicide prevention and mental |
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| 43 | 43 | | 15health crisis management measures including but not limited to counseling services, diversionary |
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| 44 | 44 | | 16programs, doctors’ interventions, police wellness visits, court programs, youth education, |
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| 45 | 45 | | 17Sections 12 and Section 35 of Chapter 123 and shall issue a report no later than January 1, 2025 |
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| 46 | 46 | | 18with recommendations for improvements to those efforts including expanded access, additional |
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| 47 | 47 | | 19channels of communication, improvements to follow up programs, assistance on securing a home |
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| 48 | 48 | | 20from materials that could be a danger to individuals who may be a risk to themselves, and |
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| 49 | 49 | | 21increased marketing. |
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| 50 | 50 | | 22 Said commission shall also report on the current relative statistics regarding suicide and |
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| 51 | 51 | | 23the means of suicide as established by the Injury Surveillance Program under the Massachusetts |
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| 52 | 52 | | 24Department of Public Health; and shall also include legal information on how certain means of |
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| 53 | 53 | | 25suicide or harm such as firearms, excessive medications or alcohol, suffocation or hanging can |
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| 54 | 54 | | 26be handled if believed to be a potential hazard. |
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| 55 | 55 | | 27 SECTION 2. The Department of Mental Health shall develop materials available to the |
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| 56 | 56 | | 28public for a wellness follow up program. The program shall offer assistance on how to conduct a |
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| 57 | 57 | | 29home inspection for materials that could be a danger to person who may be a risk to themselves |
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| 58 | 58 | | 30as well as information on mental health wellness assistance. The information shall also include |
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| 59 | 59 | | 31legal information on how certain means of suicide or harm such as firearms, excessive |
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| 60 | 60 | | 32medications or alcohol can be legally and safely handled if found. 3 of 3 |
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| 61 | 61 | | 33 The Department of Mental Health shall develop public relation materials, public service |
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| 62 | 62 | | 34announcements, and other means to make the general public aware of Mass 211 services and |
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| 63 | 63 | | 35other services such as the Federal 988 program. |
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