1 of 1
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1860 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1395
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Paul R. Feeney
_________________
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 relative to suicide prevention signage at certain facilities.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Paul R. FeeneyBristol and Norfolk 1 of 3
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1860 FILED ON: 1/16/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1395
By Mr. Feeney, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1395) of Paul R. Feeney for
legislation relative to suicide prevention signage at certain facilities. Mental Health, Substance
Use and Recovery.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 970 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
An Act relative to suicide prevention signage at certain facilities.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 32 of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting the following 3 paragraphs:-
3 Every owner, proprietor and person in control or keeper of a garage of a vertical height
4above 3 stories or 30 feet shall, within 1 year of this act, conspicuously post signage providing
5information on suicide prevention including, but not limited to, the 988 behavioral health
6emergency line, and the words “You Are Not Alone”, designed and developed by the division on
7violence and injury prevention within the department of public health and available on the
8department’s website. The sign shall be posted conspicuously on each of the 4 walls of a garage
9on each floor above 3 stories or 30 feet in height and in each elevator lobby and stairwell on each
10floor leading to the top level of the garage. 2 of 3
11 Every owner, proprietor and person in control of a garage shall submit to the department
12of public health and to the architectural access board proof of posted signage within 1 year of the
13effective date of this section.
14 The penalty for failure to comply with this act shall be $50 per day, payable to the
15commonwealth and to be distributed equally to Massachusetts non-profit organizations dedicated
16to preventing suicide at the end of each fiscal year.
17 SECTION 2. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the
18department of public health, in consultation with the division on violence and injury prevention,
19the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and its contractors and the Massachusetts
20department of transportation shall conduct a study of mass transportation facilities, as defined in
21section 1 of chapter 161A of the General Laws, inclusive of railways and crossings, that are
22potential means of suicide or locations where a suicide has occurred in the last 10 years.
23 (b) The department of public health shall submit a report containing the findings of its
24study to the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, the joint committee on health
25care financing, the joint committee on mental health, substance use and recovery, the joint
26committee on transportation and the senate and house committees on ways and means within 1
27year of the passage of this act. The department shall publish a copy of the report on its website.
28 (c) Within 1 year of the publication of the report, the department of public health shall
29promulgate regulations requiring the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and its
30contractors and the department of transportation to integrate at mass transportation facilities,
31physical infrastructure and design elements that will reduce and eliminate means of suicide,
32including, but not limited to, a requirement to conspicuously post signage providing information 3 of 3
33on suicide prevention, developed and provided by the division on violence and injury prevention
34within the department of public health, including, but not limited to, the 988 behavioral health
35emergency line, and the words “You Are Not Alone”. The sign shall use a soothing light green
36color and shall be developed in a manner that is large enough to be viewed from a distance and
37that can be clearly viewed and read by persons in all lighting conditions. The department of
38public health shall make the sign, as well as design recommendations for barriers and features to
39prevent means of suicide at mass transportation facilities, railways and crossings, available on its
40website for viewing and download by the public.
41 SECTION 3. Section 1 of this Act shall take effect 1 year after the publication of the
42signage required under section 2 on the website of the department of public health.