Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H708 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 834 FILED ON: 1/13/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 708
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 requiring a mental health wellness examination for all school children.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Priscila S. Sousa6th Middlesex1/13/2025 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 834 FILED ON: 1/13/2025
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 708
18	18	By Representative Sousa of Framingham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 708) of
19	19	Priscila S. Sousa relative to requiring a mental health wellness examination for all school
20	20	children. Education.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE HOUSE, NO. 585 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 requiring a mental health wellness examination for all school children.
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
32	32	2 MGL chapter 71 is hereby amended by adding a new section thereto as follows:
33	33	3 Section 57B
34	34	4 Section 57B. The committee, or the board of health in those municipalities where school
35	35	5health services are the responsibility of the board of health, shall cause every child in the public
36	36	6schools, and at the individual request of a parent or guardian of a pupil in a private school which
37	37	7has been approved under section one of chapter seventy-six, and which does not discriminate in
38	38	8its entrance requirements on the basis of race or color cause such pupil to be separately and
39	39	9carefully examined in such manner and at such intervals, including original entry, as may be 2 of 3
40	40	10determined by the department of public health after consultation with the department of
41	41	11education and the medical profession, to conduct a mental health wellness examination, as
42	42	12defined in section 32 of chapter 32A, and shall require a physical record of each child to be kept
43	43	13in such forms as prescribed by the provisions of section one hundred and eighty-five A of
44	44	14chapter one hundred and eleven.
45	45	15 Upon entering kindergarten or within 30 days of the start of the school year, the parent or
46	46	16guardian of each child shall present to school health personnel certification that the child within
47	47	17the previous 12 months has received a mental heath wellness examination by a licensed
48	48	18professional. Any child shall be exempt on religious grounds from these examinations upon
49	49	19written request of parent or guardian on condition that the laws and regulations relating to
50	50	20communicable diseases shall not be violated.
51	51	21 Every private school that does not perform these examinations shall be required to inform
52	52	22each parent and guardian of every enrolled pupil that the school does not conduct these
53	53	23examinations and shall recommend that the parent consult with the child's health care provider or
54	54	24local school committee or board of health to ensure that these examinations are conducted.
55	55	25 Any person who conducts an examination of a child in response to such child having
56	56	26concerns about said examination given in accordance with the provisions of this section shall
57	57	27forward a written report of the results of the examination to the school health personnel and a
58	58	28copy of said report to a parent or guardian of such child. Said report shall include, but not be
59	59	29limited to, the following:
60	60	30 (a) date of the report;
61	61	31 (b) name and address of the child; 3 of 3
62	62	32 (c) name of the child's school;
63	63	33 (d) type of examination;
64	64	34 (e) a summary of significant findings, including diagnoses, medication used, duration of
65	65	35action of medication, treatment, prognosis, whether or not a return visit is recommended and, if
66	66	36so, when;
67	67	37 (f) recommended educational adjustments for the child, if any;
68	68	38 (g) name, address and signature of the examiner.
69	69	39 SECTION 2
70	70	40 Section 2GGGGG of chapter 29 is hereby amended by adding at the end of the first
71	71	41paragraph before the period the following subclause: “; and (v) provide grants for mental health
72	72	42wellness examination in underserved school districts."