Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3600 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. 1763 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3600
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Kate Donaghue
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 relative to discharge from substance use disorder treatment.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Kate Donaghue19th Worcester1/18/2023James C. Arena-DeRosa8th Middlesex1/27/2023Danillo A. Sena37th Middlesex1/27/2023David Paul Linsky5th Middlesex2/6/2023 1 of 2
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1763 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3600
18	18	By Representative Donaghue of Westborough, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3600)
19	19	of Kate Donaghue and others relative to discharge from substance use disorder treatment.
20	20	Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery.
21	21	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
22	22	_______________
23	23	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
24	24	(2023-2024)
25	25	_______________
26	26	An Act relative to discharge from substance use disorder treatment.
27	27	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
28	28	of the same, as follows:
29	29	1 (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the
30	30	2department of public health, in consultation with the bureau of substance addiction services
31	31	3established in section 18 of chapter 17 of the General Laws, shall conduct a study on the
32	32	4circumstances and effects of conducting an administrative discharge of a patient from a
33	33	5substance use disorder treatment program subject to licensure or approval under sections 24 and
34	34	624D of chapter 90, sections 6 and 6A of chapter 111B and section 7 of chapter 111E. For the
35	35	7purposes of this section, an “administrative discharge” shall mean a termination of treatment of a
36	36	8patient for substance use disorder as determined by treatment provider staff, despite a lack of
37	37	9maximal clinical improvement in the patient, due to a violation of an administrative rule of the
38	38	10program.
39	39	11 (b) The study shall examine the standards used by a substance use disorder treatment
40	40	12program in determining when to conduct an administrative discharge including, but not limited 2 of 2
41	41	13to, any standard criteria, methodology or graduated sanctions in place based on staff and patient
42	42	14safety and the level of treatment and severity of the symptoms of the patient. The study shall also
43	43	15examine any options that a patient may have after an administrative discharge from a substance
44	44	16use disorder treatment program including any programs or resources available to the patient and
45	45	17the frequency that such options are provided to those patients. The study shall also examine the
46	46	18applicability, availability and effectiveness of the regulations relative to the coordination of care
47	47	19and management of discharge planning pursuant to section 19 of said chapter 17 for an
48	48	20administrative discharge.
49	49	21 (c) The department of public health shall report and file its findings and
50	50	22recommendations, including any legislation, with the clerks of the house of representatives and
51	51	23senate not later than December 31, 2024.