Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3920 Compare Versions

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

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2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3547 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3920
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Kate Lipper-Garabedian
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 PANDAS/PANS screening in medical/clinical settings.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Kate Lipper-Garabedian32nd Middlesex1/20/2023Jason M. LewisFifth Middlesex1/31/2023 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3547 FILED ON: 1/20/2023
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3920
18	18	By Representative Lipper-Garabedian of Melrose, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
19	19	3920) of Kate Lipper-Garabedian and Jason M. Lewis relative to PANDAS/PANS screening in
20	20	medical/clinical settings. Financial Services.
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 PANDAS/PANS screening in medical/clinical settings.
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 SECTION 1. Section 17R of chapter 32A of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
30	30	2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “for”, in line 3, the following
31	31	3words:- screening and.
32	32	4 SECTION 2. Chapter 111 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
33	33	5section 242 the following section:-
34	34	6 Section 242A. (a) For all children, the department shall establish a program for screening
35	35	7of pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections,
36	36	8hereinafter referred to as PANDAS and pediatric acute onset neuropsychiatric syndrome,
37	37	9hereinafter referred to as PANS, which shall adhere to the recommendations developed by a
38	38	10medical professional consortium convened by the department for the purposes of researching,
39	39	11identifying, and publishing best practice standards for diagnosis and treatment of such disorders 2 of 3
40	40	12or syndrome that are accessible for medical professionals and are based on evidence of positive
41	41	13patient outcomes.
42	42	14 (b) The department shall develop a PANS working criteria to describe a clinically distinct
43	43	15presentation defined as follows: (i) abrupt, dramatic onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder or
44	44	16severely restricted food intake; (ii) concurrent presence of additional neuropsychiatric symptoms,
45	45	17with similarly severe and acute onset, from at least 2 of the following categories: (1) anxiety; (2)
46	46	18emotional lability or depression; (3) irritability, aggression or severely oppositional behaviors;
47	47	19(4) behavioral or developmental regression; (5) deterioration in school performance related to
48	48	20attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-like symptoms, memory deficits, cognitive
49	49	21changes; (6) sensory or motor abnormalities; (7) somatic signs and symptoms, including sleep
50	50	22disturbances, enuresis or urinary frequency; and (iii) symptoms are not better explained by a
51	51	23known neurologic or medical disorder, such as Sydenham chorea.
52	52	24 SECTION 3. Chapter 112 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
53	53	25section 12GG the following section:-
54	54	26 Section 12HH. (a) Each physician duly registered pursuant to section 2, 2A, 9, 9A, or 9B,
55	55	27each licensed child psychiatrist or psychologist, each licensed certified social worker or each
56	56	28licensed mental health counselor shall screen patients for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric
57	57	29disorders associated with streptococcal infections, hereinafter referred to as PANDAS and
58	58	30pediatric acute onset neuropsychiatric syndrome, hereinafter referred to as PANS, at the intervals
59	59	31and using the methods specified in the regulations adopted pursuant to section 242A of chapter
60	60	32111. 3 of 3
61	61	33 (b) Each licensed, registered or approved health care facility serving children, including
62	62	34but not limited to hospitals and clinics licensed under section 51 of chapter 111 and health
63	63	35maintenance organizations approved under the provisions of chapter 176G, shall take appropriate
64	64	36steps to ensure that their patients receive such PANDAS/PANS screening.
65	65	37 SECTION 4. Section 47NN of chapter 175 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
66	66	38Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “for”, in line 3, the following
67	67	39words:- screening and.
68	68	40 SECTION 5. Section 8OO of chapter 176A of the General Laws, as so appearing, is
69	69	41hereby amended by inserting after the word “for”, in line 3, the following words:- screening and.
70	70	42 SECTION 6. Section 4OO of chapter 176B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is
71	71	43hereby amended by inserting after the word “for”, in line 3, the following words:- screening and.
72	72	44 SECTION 7. Section 4GG of chapter 176G of the General Laws, as so appearing, is
73	73	45hereby amended by inserting after the word “for”, in line 2, the following words:- screening and.
74	74	46 SECTION 8. The department of public health shall promulgate a working criteria and
75	75	47regulations to implement the provisions of section 242A of chapter 111 of the General Laws
76	76	48within 180 days of the effective date of this act.
77	77	49 SECTION 9. Section 3 shall take effect 270 days after the effective date of this act.