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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2080 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2207
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Brandy Fluker-Reid
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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 building resilience and increasing access to mental health services.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Brandy Fluker-Reid12th Suffolk1/15/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2080 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2207
By Representative Fluker-Reid of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2207) of
Brandy Fluker-Reid for legislation to establish a grant program for increased mental health needs
in nonprofit organizations at high risk of hate crimes. Mental Health, Substance Use and
Recovery.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1985 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act building resilience and increasing access to mental health services.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 There shall be a mental health capacity grant program established within the department
2of mental health for the purpose of addressing increased mental health needs in nonprofit
3organizations at high-risk of hate crime and nonprofits that serve populations at high risk of hate
4crimes, as defined in section 32 of chapter 22c of the General Laws.
5 The program shall make grants available to nonprofit organizations at high risk of hate
6crimes and those that serve populations at high risk of hate crimes, as defined in section 32 of
7chapter 22c of the General Laws, to increase behavioral health competency of staff who have
8frequent interactions with targeted communities and to expand supportive programming to the
9same populations. The grants shall be used to support programming determined by an 2 of 2
10organization’s specific needs to address mental health including but not limited to (a) mental
11health first aid training, (b) culturally responsive referral programs, (c) community education and
12destigmatization of mental health supports, (d) and any other programming shown to effectively
13impact positive mental health.
14 Subject to appropriation, the department shall promulgate regulations to develop
15provisions around grantmaking including that the grants shall be distributed in a geographically
16equitable manner across the commonwealth and distributed in a manner that correlates with bias
17types included in the preceding year’s annual hate crime report by the Massachusetts Executive
18Office of Public Safety and Security.
19 No later than 6 months from the distribution of the first grant, the commissioner shall file
20a report with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the joint committee on mental
21health, substance use and recovery, the joint committee on racial equity, civil rights, and
22inclusion, and the house and senate committees on ways and means detailing the grant program,
23which shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the number of applications received; (ii) the number
24of grants awarded; (iii) the dollar amount per grant; (iv) the organizational mission of each
25grantee; and (v) the type of programming supported by each grant.