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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1026 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1351
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Christine P. Barber
_________________
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 ensuring equal access to medical treatments essential for people with a developmental
disability, intellectual disability, or autism.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Christine P. Barber34th Middlesex1/14/2025James Arciero2nd Middlesex2/21/2025Jennifer Balinsky Armini8th Essex2/11/2025Manny Cruz7th Essex2/26/2025James B. EldridgeMiddlesex and Worcester2/10/2025William C. Galvin6th Norfolk2/25/2025Sean Garballey23rd Middlesex3/7/2025Colleen M. Garry36th Middlesex2/10/2025Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex2/15/2025James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol2/11/2025Christopher Hendricks11th Bristol2/10/2025Natalie M. Higgins4th Worcester2/8/2025Kevin G. Honan17th Suffolk2/25/2025Vanna Howard17th Middlesex2/14/2025Patrick Joseph Kearney4th Plymouth1/31/2025Mary S. Keefe15th Worcester3/4/2025David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf17th Worcester2/10/2025 2 of 2
David Paul Linsky5th Middlesex2/5/2025John J. Marsi6th Worcester2/13/2025Adrianne Pusateri Ramos14th Essex3/6/2025Thomas M. Stanley9th Middlesex3/4/2025Steven Ultrino33rd Middlesex3/6/2025Erika Uyterhoeven27th Middlesex2/19/2025Susannah M. Whipps2nd Franklin2/7/2025Bud L. Williams11th Hampden2/11/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1026 FILED ON: 1/14/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1351
By Representative Barber of Somerville, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1351) of
Christine P. Barber and others relative to ensuring equal access to medical treatments essential
for people with a developmental disability, intellectual disability, or autism. Health Care
Financing.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 128 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act ensuring equal access to medical treatments essential for people with a developmental
disability, intellectual disability, or 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 Chapter 118E of General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition is hereby
2amended by inserting after section 62 the following section:-
3 Section 63. The Division shall cover the cost of habilitative and rehabilitative medically
4necessary treatments for individuals aged 21 and older who are receiving coverage under this
5chapter and who have been diagnosed with any of the following disorders as defined in the most
6recent version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM):
7developmental disability, an intellectual disability, or autism spectrum disorder. The diagnoses
8must be made by a licensed physician or a licensed psychologist who determines the care to be
9medically necessary. Treatments shall include, but shall not be limited to, applied behavior 2 of 2
10analysis provided or supervised by a licensed behavior analyst that is necessary to develop,
11maintain or restore, to the maximum extent practicable, the functioning of an individual. In
12addition, the Division shall cover the cost of both dedicated and non-dedicated augmentative and
13alternative communication devices, including, but not limited to, medically necessary tablets.