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| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 591 FILED ON: 1/10/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2534 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Margaret R. Scarsdale |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act preserving access to hospital services. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Margaret R. Scarsdale1st Middlesex1/10/2025Michael D. BradySecond Plymouth and Norfolk3/3/2025 1 of 1 |
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| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 591 FILED ON: 1/10/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2534 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Scarsdale of Pepperell, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2534) of |
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| 19 | 19 | | Margaret R. Scarsdale and Michael D. Brady that the Department of Public Health create a |
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| 20 | 20 | | process for state receivership for certain hospitals or free-standing clinics that provides essential |
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| 21 | 21 | | health services. Public Health. |
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| 22 | 22 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 23 | 23 | | SEE HOUSE, NO. 2143 OF 2023-2024.] |
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| 24 | 24 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 25 | 25 | | _______________ |
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| 26 | 26 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 27 | 27 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 28 | 28 | | _______________ |
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| 29 | 29 | | An Act preserving access to hospital services. |
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| 30 | 30 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 31 | 31 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 32 | 32 | | 1 Chapter 111 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby |
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| 33 | 33 | | 2amended by adding at the end of section 51G the following new section: |
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| 34 | 34 | | 3 (7) The department, in conjunction with other state departments or agencies, shall |
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| 35 | 35 | | 4promulgate regulations creating a process for state receivership for any hospital or free-standing |
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| 36 | 36 | | 5clinic that provides essential health services and (a) closes without providing the required 90-day |
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| 37 | 37 | | 6notice or (b) closes a hospital or free-standing clinic following a determination by the department |
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| 38 | 38 | | 7that a closure would constitute a discontinuation of services necessary for preserving access and |
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| 39 | 39 | | 8health status in the hospital or free-standing clinic’s service area. These regulations shall include |
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| 40 | 40 | | 9a mechanism and source for funding said receivership. |
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