| 1 | 1 | | 1 of 1 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 828 FILED ON: 1/13/2025 |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2705 |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | Priscila S. Sousa |
|---|
| 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 health education in women's correctional institutions. |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Priscila S. Sousa6th Middlesex1/13/2025Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/17/2025Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/22/2025Christine P. Barber34th Middlesex3/7/2025 1 of 3 |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 828 FILED ON: 1/13/2025 |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2705 |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | By Representative Sousa of Framingham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2705) of |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | Priscila S. Sousa and others relative to health education in women's correctional institutions. |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | Public Safety and Homeland Security. |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | SEE HOUSE, NO. 2349 OF 2023-2024.] |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | (2025-2026) |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | _______________ |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | An Act relative to health education in women's correctional institutions. |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | of the same, as follows: |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | 1 SECTION 1. Chapter 127 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | 2Section 16A the following new sections:- |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | 3 Section 16B. Upon admission to a correctional institution and at any time thereafter, the |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | 4health services unit in each correctional institution where women are incarcerated shall make |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | 5available to all prisoners written information on women’s health, contraception, and sexually |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | 6transmitted infections. A user-friendly, culturally competent, and linguistically diverse brochure |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | 7containing the aforementioned information shall be created and distributed by the department of |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | 8public health. 2 of 3 |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | 9 Section 16C. Not less than 4 months prior to the date of release for a female prisoner of |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | 10child-bearing age, the medical director of the correctional institution where the prisoner is |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | 11incarcerated shall offer the prisoner contraception counseling and a gynecological exam |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | 12including a Pap Test. Following said counseling, the medical director shall offer to provide her |
|---|
| 43 | 43 | | 13with the form of contraception she so chooses including but not limited to: female condoms, |
|---|
| 44 | 44 | | 14male condoms, diaphragm, cervical cap, intra-uterine device, prescription birth control, or |
|---|
| 45 | 45 | | 15contraceptive sponges. If the prisoner selects a type of contraception that must be taken for a |
|---|
| 46 | 46 | | 16period of time before it becomes effective, then the prisoner shall begin the regimen not less than |
|---|
| 47 | 47 | | 17three months prior to her date of release. Said medication shall be distributed during regular |
|---|
| 48 | 48 | | 18medication distribution. Upon her release, the medical director shall furnish the woman with a 12 |
|---|
| 49 | 49 | | 19month prescription to refill her medication, a referral to a pharmacy or doctor where said |
|---|
| 50 | 50 | | 20prescription can be refilled, a referral to a primary care physician or gynecologist for follow up |
|---|
| 51 | 51 | | 21care, and a MassHealth card with access to Medicaid. The foregoing notwithstanding, no |
|---|
| 52 | 52 | | 22prisoner shall be required to undergo a gynecological exam or accept or utilize any type of |
|---|
| 53 | 53 | | 23contraception. |
|---|
| 54 | 54 | | 24 SECTION 2. Said chapter 127, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting |
|---|
| 55 | 55 | | 25after Section 96B the following new section:- |
|---|
| 56 | 56 | | 26 Section 96C. The superintendent of each correctional institution where women are |
|---|
| 57 | 57 | | 27incarcerated shall offer a curricula on health education open to all eligible incarcerated people in |
|---|
| 58 | 58 | | 28said institutions. A curricula shall be created and shall include, but not be limited to, the |
|---|
| 59 | 59 | | 29following topics: general health, nutrition, mental health, women’s health concerns, domestic |
|---|
| 60 | 60 | | 30violence, substance abuse, sexually transmitted infections, contraception, emergency |
|---|
| 61 | 61 | | 31contraception, sex education, pregnancy, infant care, and child development. Said curricula shall 3 of 3 |
|---|
| 62 | 62 | | 32be developed in consultation with the department of public health, shall be reevaluated annually, |
|---|
| 63 | 63 | | 33and offered regularly on a monthly basis. |
|---|