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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 197 FILED ON: 1/9/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1623 |
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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 | | Bruce E. Tarr |
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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 relative to certified medication aides. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Bruce E. TarrFirst Essex and Middlesex 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 197 FILED ON: 1/9/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1623 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Mr. Tarr, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1623) of Bruce E. Tarr for legislation |
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| 19 | 19 | | relative to certified medication aides. Public Health. |
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| 20 | 20 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 21 | 21 | | SEE SENATE, NO. 1468 OF 2023-2024.] |
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| 22 | 22 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 23 | 23 | | _______________ |
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| 24 | 24 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 26 | 26 | | _______________ |
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| 27 | 27 | | An Act relative to certified medication aides. |
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| 28 | 28 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 29 | 29 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 30 | 30 | | 1 Chapter 111, as appearing in the Massachusetts General Laws 2022 Edition, is hereby |
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| 31 | 31 | | 2amended by inserting, after section 72BB the following new section:- |
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| 32 | 32 | | 3 Section 72CC. (a) As used in this section the following words shall have the following |
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| 33 | 33 | | 4meaning:- A certified medication aide means a staff member, who meets the eligibility |
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| 34 | 34 | | 5requirements, has successfully completed the required training and competency testing |
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| 35 | 35 | | 6developed by the Department of Public Health, and is considered competent to administer oral |
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| 36 | 36 | | 7and topical non-narcotic medications to residents in long-term care facilities. |
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| 37 | 37 | | 8 (b) The Department shall create a program for the administration of medications in long- |
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| 38 | 38 | | 9term care facilities by certified medication aides in consultation with all necessary and relevant 2 of 2 |
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| 39 | 39 | | 10appropriate agencies, and licensing boards, including, but not limited to, the Board of |
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| 40 | 40 | | 11Registration in Nursing. |
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| 41 | 41 | | 12 (c) The Department shall develop and approve training curricula, competency evaluation |
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| 42 | 42 | | 13procedures, standards for qualifications of applicants for certification and monitoring and |
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| 43 | 43 | | 14oversight requirements for participating long-term care facilities. |
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| 44 | 44 | | 15 (d) The Department shall establish regulations that include: (1) provisions for continuing |
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| 45 | 45 | | 16education requirements for certified medication aides; (2) requirements for re-certification of |
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| 46 | 46 | | 17certified medication aides on a biennial basis; and (3) fees for the issuance of certification to |
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| 47 | 47 | | 18certified medication aides. |
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| 48 | 48 | | 19 (e) The Department shall allow for the creation of apprenticeship programs for currently |
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| 49 | 49 | | 20employed resident care assistants (RCAs) and certified nurse aides (CNAs) to become certified |
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| 50 | 50 | | 21medication aides. |
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| 51 | 51 | | 22 (f) The Department may promulgate rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of |
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| 52 | 52 | | 23this section. |
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