Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H2158 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1373 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2158
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Tricia Farley-Bouvier
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act recognizing EMS as a disease dangerous to the public health, requiring inclusion in
13	13	MAVEN, establishing the Massachusetts EMS registry and requiring biennial reporting as part
14	14	of population health trends.
15	15	_______________
16	16	PETITION OF:
17	17	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Tricia Farley-Bouvier2nd Berkshire1/18/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/1/2023Mary S. Keefe15th Worcester2/6/2023 1 of 3
18	18	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1373 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
19	19	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2158
20	20	By Representative Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
21	21	2158) of Tricia Farley-Bouvier, Vanna Howard and Mary S. Keefe that the Department of Public
22	22	Health add electromagnetic sensitivity (EMS) to the list of diseases dangerous to the public
23	23	health. Public Health.
24	24	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
25	25	_______________
26	26	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
27	27	(2023-2024)
28	28	_______________
29	29	An Act recognizing EMS as a disease dangerous to the public health, requiring inclusion in
30	30	MAVEN, establishing the Massachusetts EMS registry and requiring biennial reporting as part
31	31	of population health trends.
32	32	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
33	33	of the same, as follows:
34	34	1 Chapter 111 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 243 the
35	35	2following section:-
36	36	3 SECTION 244 EMS Disease Classification and Registry
37	37	4 (a) The department shall add Electromagnetic Sensitivity (EMS) to the list of diseases
38	38	5dangerous to the public health in 105 CMR 300.000 and 300.100 in order to facilitate reporting
39	39	6and surveillance requirements within the Disease Surveillance and Case Management System
40	40	7(MAVEN) implemented in 105 CMR 300.050 and identification of incidences that are part of a
41	41	8cluster or outbreak for purposes of 105 CMR 300.134.
42	42	9 (b) The department shall include EMS to the list of diseases possibly linked to
43	43	10environmental exposures in 105 CMR 300.192. 2 of 3
44	44	11 (c) The department shall collect and disseminate to health care providers (including but
45	45	12not limited to pediatricians) and the public recommended educational materials and diagnosis
46	46	13guidelines for identification of the symptoms associated with EMS. These materials shall
47	47	14include, but not be limited to the EUROPAEM EMF Guideline 2016 for the prevention,
48	48	15diagnosis and treatment of EMF-related health problems and illnesses, Clinical Practice
49	49	16Guidelines in the Diagnosis and Management of Electromagnetic Field Hypersensitivity,
50	50	17Environmental Health Clinic, Women’s College Hospital (Toronto, CA) and Guideline of the
51	51	18Austrian Medical Association for the diagnosis and treatment of EMF related health problems
52	52	19and illnesses (EMF syndrome).
53	53	20 (d) (1) The department shall establish an EMS disease registry for the collection of
54	54	21information necessary to determine the incidence and prevalence of EMS in the commonwealth.
55	55	22 (2) There shall be within the department an EMS disease registry advisory committee to
56	56	23advise and assist in the development, implementation and progress of the EMS disease registry
57	57	24established in subsection (d)(1). The committee shall review and submit recommendations on: (i)
58	58	25what data shall be collected, including, but not limited to, demographic information and data by
59	59	26areas and regions of the commonwealth, with specific data from urban, low and median income
60	60	27communities and minority communities of the commonwealth; (ii) the means of collecting and
61	61	28disseminating such data; (iii) how to ensure privacy and confidentiality of such data; (iv) the
62	62	29purpose, design and functionality of the registry; and (v) the implementation of the registry. The
63	63	30committee shall recommend to the department any information deemed necessary and
64	64	31appropriate for the statistical identification and planning for treatment and education of health
65	65	32care providers and persons diagnosed with EMS. 3 of 3
66	66	33 (3) The committee shall consist of the commissioner, or a designee, and 10 members to
67	67	34be appointed by the commissioner as follows: 3 physicians, 1 of whom shall be a general
68	68	35neurologist, 1 of whom shall be an environmental health specialist and 1 of whom shall be a
69	69	36pediatrician; 1 health informaticist; 2 population health researchers familiar with registries; 2
70	70	37EMS researchers; and 2 persons diagnosed with EMS. The committee shall meet at least bi-
71	71	38annually to assess registry progress and recommend changes.
72	72	39 (e) The commissioner shall include EMS as part of the data systems and biennial reports
73	73	40required by each population health trends required by chapter 111 section 237.
74	74	41 (f) Definition: for purposes of this section “Electromagnetic Sensitivity” (EMS), also
75	75	42known as EMF Syndrome, Electromagnetic Field Hypersensitivity or Nonionizing Radiation
76	76	43Sickness, means the recognized constellation of mainly neurological spectrum condition
77	77	44symptoms that have been associated with exposure to nonionizing electromagnetic energy. They
78	78	45include headaches, memory, cognitive and sleep problems, heart palpitations and/or increased
79	79	46heart rate, ringing in the ears, fatigue, skin rashes, tingling, nose bleeds, unremitting flu-like
80	80	47symptoms, dizziness, and burning sensations.