Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S1396 Compare Versions

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

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2043 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1396
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Paul R. Feeney
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 studying the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline, direct care
13	13	nurses.
14	14	_______________
15	15	PETITION OF:
16	16	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Paul R. FeeneyBristol and Norfolk 1 of 2
17	17	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2043 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
18	18	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1396
19	19	By Mr. Feeney, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1396) of Paul R. Feeney for
20	20	legislation to study the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline, direct
21	21	care nurses. Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery.
22	22	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
23	23	SEE SENATE, NO. 1245 OF 2023-2024.]
24	24	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
25	25	_______________
26	26	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
27	27	(2025-2026)
28	28	_______________
29	29	An Act studying the mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline, direct care
30	30	nurses.
31	31	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
32	32	of the same, as follows:
33	33	1 SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the health
34	34	2policy commission, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, shall conduct a study of the
35	35	3mental and behavioral health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the frontline, direct care
36	36	4nursing workforce. The commission shall seek input from the department of public health, the
37	37	5department of mental health, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, the office of health equity,
38	38	6the interagency health equity team, other state agencies, frontline nurses, healthcare providers,
39	39	7behavioral and economic experts and caregivers.
40	40	8 SECTION 2. The study shall: (i) identify the healthcare services that frontline, direct care
41	41	9nurses provided during the COVID-19 pandemic to patients suffering from COVID-19, 2 of 2
42	42	10including those above and beyond their normal duties; (ii) identify the traumatic effect of the
43	43	11COVID-19 pandemic and associated hospital patient surge and unprecedented death rate on
44	44	12mental health predisposition and risk factors contributing to post-traumatic stress disorder,
45	45	13depression, anxiety and other acute and long-term mental health conditions, caused by the
46	46	14COVID-19 pandemic; (iii) identify the mental and behavioral health resources offered by
47	47	15hospitals to the frontline, direct care nursing and staff workforce; (iv) recommend ways to
48	48	16improve access to, and the quality of, mental and behavioral health services to the frontline,
49	49	17direct care nursing and staff workforce; and (v) identify any other issues pertaining to providing
50	50	18mental and behavioral health resources to the frontline, direct care nursing workforce and staff in
51	51	19response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as deemed relevant by the commission, including, but not
52	52	20limited to, barriers to mental and behavioral healthcare delivery.
53	53	21 SECTION 3. Not later than December 31, 2026, the health policy commission shall file a
54	54	22report of its findings, together with any recommendations for legislation, with the clerks of the
55	55	23senate and house of representatives, the joint committee on health care financing, the joint
56	56	24committee on mental health, substance use and recovery and the joint committee on financial
57	57	25services.