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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1490 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2221
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
John J. Lawn, Jr.
_________________
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 improving health care for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities
including autism.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:John J. Lawn, Jr.10th Middlesex1/18/2023Sean Garballey23rd Middlesex1/24/2023Josh S. Cutler6th Plymouth1/31/2023Michael J. Finn6th Hampden1/31/2023Smitty Pignatelli3rd Berkshire1/31/2023Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire2/2/2023Kay Khan11th Middlesex2/2/2023Kathleen R. LaNatra12th Plymouth2/2/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/2/2023Michael D. BradySecond Plymouth and Norfolk2/7/2023Brian M. Ashe2nd Hampden2/7/2023Jack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex2/7/2023Tram T. Nguyen18th Essex2/7/2023Steven S. Howitt4th Bristol2/7/2023Kimberly N. Ferguson1st Worcester2/8/2023Patrick M. O'ConnorFirst Plymouth and Norfolk2/8/2023Paul McMurtry11th Norfolk2/8/2023 2 of 2
David Allen Robertson19th Middlesex2/9/2023Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex2/13/2023William C. Galvin6th Norfolk2/13/2023James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/13/2023Denise C. Garlick13th Norfolk2/15/2023James Arciero2nd Middlesex2/15/2023Carol A. Doherty3rd Bristol2/23/2023Bruce E. TarrFirst Essex and Middlesex2/23/2023Natalie M. Higgins4th Worcester2/23/2023Bradley H. Jones, Jr.20th Middlesex2/23/2023Kate Lipper-Garabedian32nd Middlesex3/6/2023 1 of 4
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1490 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2221
By Representative Lawn of Watertown, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2221) of
John J. Lawn, Jr. and others that the Department of Public Health establish a voluntary
certification training program for care of certain patients with intellectual and developmental
disabilities including autism. Public Health.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2279 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
_______________
An Act improving health care for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities
including autism.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Chapter 17 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition,
2is hereby amended by adding the following section:-
3 Section 21.
4 (a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following meanings, unless
5the context clearly requires otherwise:
6 “Certified training program”, a voluntary training and accreditation program, accredited
7by the department pursuant to this section, for medical professionals focusing on instruction of 2 of 4
8best practices for the treatment and care of patients with intellectual and developmental
9disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders.
10 “Department”, the department of public health,
11 “Director”, the director of the department of family health and nutrition, within the
12department.
13 “Operation House Call”, an existing program, developed by The Arc of Massachusetts,
14which teaches young medical professionals essential skills to enhance the health care of persons
15with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities that shall serve as the baseline
16training model.
17 “School”, any institution of higher education providing a course of study for students in
18medicine or related fields.
19 (b) In conjunction with the department of developmental services, and the Arc of
20Massachusetts, the department shall establish and provide for the administration of a voluntary
21certified training program for:
22 (i) medical schools seeking certification under subsection (d);
23 (ii) nursing schools seeking certification under subsection (d);
24 (iii) dental schools seeking certification under subsection (d);
25 (iv) other institutions of higher education with a course of study for medical practitioners,
26including but not limited to physicians assistants, dieticians, nutritionists, physical therapists, 3 of 4
27dental hygienists, allied mental health and human service professionals seeking certification
28under subsection (d).
29 (c) The certified program established pursuant to this section shall:
30 (i) be structured based upon Operation House Call;
31 (ii) be offered to participating students on a voluntary basis that is separate from their
32required course of study;
33 (iii) maintain recognized standards and practices that:
34 (A) uphold industry standards for instructing healthcare professionals on best practices
35for the treatment and care for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including
36but not limited to autism spectrum disorders;
37 (B) include didactic classroom instruction, experiential learning and online learning,
38totaling not less than 6 hours;
39 (C) address the health care needs of patients with intersecting marginalized identities,
40including those belonging to minority race or ethnic groups, through training content and
41recruitment of diverse program participants.
42 (d) The department shall certify that a school offers a certified training program, as
43described in subsection (c), upon receipt and review that:
44 (i) the school has successfully delivered the certified training program to a sufficient
45number of participating students as mutually agreed upon by the institution and the provider of
46the training; and 4 of 4
47 (ii) that the program meets the minimum standards and practices, as provided in
48subsection (c).
49 (e) The director shall periodically evaluate the quality of training being provided to
50schools seeking certification and the integrity and efficacy of the accreditation program.
51 (f) The department shall prepare, publish and disseminate a list of schools certified
52pursuant to this section; provided, however, that the list shall be updated annually. The list shall
53be published in a location that is accessible to prospective students seeking to apply to attend
54schools in the medical field or related fields.