Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts Senate Bill S483 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. 447 FILED ON: 1/13/2025
3	3	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 483
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Mark C. Montigny
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 providing for certification of skilled nursing facility medical directors.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Mark C. MontignySecond Bristol and Plymouth 1 of 3
16	16	SENATE DOCKET, NO. 447 FILED ON: 1/13/2025
17	17	SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 483
18	18	By Mr. Montigny, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 483) of Mark C. Montigny for
19	19	legislation to provide for certification of skilled nursing facility medical directors. Elder Affairs.
20	20	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
21	21	SEE SENATE, NO. 389 OF 2023-2024.]
22	22	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
23	23	_______________
24	24	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
25	25	(2025-2026)
26	26	_______________
27	27	An Act providing for certification of skilled nursing facility medical directors.
28	28	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
29	29	of the same, as follows:
30	30	1 SECTION 1. For the purposes of this act the following terms shall, unless the context
31	31	2requires otherwise, have the following meanings:-
32	32	3 “Certified medical director”, an individual who has been certified as a certified medical
33	33	4director by the American Board of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine or an equivalent
34	34	5organization, as determined by the department of public health.
35	35	6 “Department”, the department of public health.
36	36	7 “Skilled nursing facility”, a facility that is licensed pursuant to section 71 of chapter 111
37	37	8of the General Laws, which primarily provides inpatient skilled nursing care and related services
38	38	9to patients who require medical, nursing or rehabilitative services but does not provide the level 2 of 3
39	39	10of care or treatment available in a hospital, including any skilled nursing facility that is operated
40	40	11as a distinct part of an acute care hospital.
41	41	12 SECTION 2. (a) No skilled nursing facility shall contract with a person as a medical
42	42	13director if the person is not, or will not be within 5 years of the date of initial hire as the facility’s
43	43	14medical director, a certified medical director, except as set forth in subsection (b).
44	44	15 (b) A medical director already employed in a skilled nursing facility as of January 1,
45	45	162027 shall have until January 1, 2030 to become a certified medical director.
46	46	17 SECTION 3. (a) Skilled nursing facilities seeking licensure pursuant to said section 71 of
47	47	18said chapter 111 shall submit to the department all of the following information on its medical
48	48	19director upon its original or renewal application for licensure:
49	49	20 (1) results of a criminal background check for the medical director;
50	50	21 (2) the medical director’s resume; and
51	51	22 (3) proof of the medical director’s certification as a certified medical director or, if the
52	52	23medical director is not yet certified, the expected date of certification.
53	53	24 (c) Skilled nursing facilities shall notify the department of any changes in its medical
54	54	25director by submitting the information required in subsection (a) within 10 calendar days of said
55	55	26changes.
56	56	27 (d) All skilled nursing facilities shall submit to the department the information required in
57	57	28subsection (a) no later than June 30, 2027. 3 of 3
58	58	29 SECTION 4. Whoever acts as a certified medical director or represents themselves to be
59	59	30a certified medical director without having been duly certified shall be punished by a fine of not
60	60	31less than $500 or by imprisonment in a house of correction for not more than 6 months, or both.