Legislative Priorities

The Policy, Advocacy, and Communication (PAC) Team at NAMI Massachusetts aims to provide direction and guidance on policy issues affecting mental health in the Commonwealth to Affiliates, state agencies, community stakeholders, advocates, and the general public. Legislation is organized by primary area of focus, but categories do often overlap. Top priority bills are marked with an asterisk (*).

We acknowledge that these bills are only a small fraction of the legislation that can potentially impact an individual living with a mental health condition, because everyone’s needs are different. If you are interested in a piece of legislation not on this list, please feel free to connect with The PACT Team. We are happy to provide you with support in learning more about any piece of legislation.

Download a 1-page overview of our top priority legislation

Questions? Email policy@naminmass.org

H.1980: An Act relative to ending unnecessary hospitalizations and reducing emergency department boarding*

Massachusetts residents who are experiencing a mental health crisis can be involuntarily detained or taken to hospital emergency departments (ED) where they can wait for days or weeks without treatment. Emergency Department (ED) “boarding” is a legal limbo where people are not receiving active treatment in a therapeutic milieu, and can be detained indefinitely, with no way to challenge their involuntarily confinement.

The bill will reduce ED boarding and unnecessary hospitalizations of people involuntarily detained under § 12(a) by:

— requiring mental health professionals to explore and exhaust community-based alternatives before pursing hospitalizations, including the Behavioral Health Help Line, and services through Community Behavioral Health Centers(CBHCs) (e.g. mobile crisis interventions, and community crisis stabilization)

— after exhausting less restrictive alternatives the MH professional authorizes transport to nearest CBHC and if CBHC is unable to prevent likelihood of serious harm, the person is taken to inpatient psychiatric facility.

— person can only be transported to ED if there is no open bed at a psychiatric facility within a 30 mile radius

— provide information to persons in ED regarding legal rights within 12 hours of arrival and ensure they have access to a judicial hearing if they are still in the ED 48 hours after arrival

— create a real-time database of open psychiatric beds

— require a collection of data by Department of Mental Health and reported to legislature annually

View H.1980

View H.1980 Fact Sheet

Creates a requirement for a 30% increase in behavioral health expenditures over baseline behavioral health care spending. Health care systems and insurers would be held accountable for achieving the behavioral health investment target starting in 2027 through the same process currently in effect for the health care cost growth benchmark – i.e. through the Health Policy Commission (HPC) cost growth hearing process and the performance improvement plan process.

View S.1248

View S.1248 Fact Sheet

Requires commercial health insurers to cover these evidence-based practices for first incident psychosis delivered with multi-disciplinary teams who provide wraparound service 24x7x365. Bill also includes coverage for assertive community treatment. This expands benefits to achieve parity.

View S.610

View H.989

View Fact Sheet for S610/H989

Read NAMI MA written testimony in support of H989/S610

Watch NAMI MA oral testimony in support of H989/S610

Coverage for medications used to prevent, assess, or treat serious mental illness without requiring prior authorization or the initiation or completion of a step therapy protocol

View S.631

View Fact Sheet for S.631 (form. SD.1376)

Read NAMI MA Written Testimony in support of S.631

Will transfer oversight of Bridgewater State Hospital (BSH) to the Department of Mental Health (DMH) from the Department of Corrections (DOC).

View S.1239

View H.2985

View Fact Sheet for BSH Bill

Read Our Written Testimony on H.2985

Watch Our Oral Testimony on H.2985

Will establish universal baseline conditions standards for everyone incarcerated in Massachusetts state prisons, county jails, and house of correction.

View S.1493

View Bill H.2325

View Fact Sheet

Requires all K-12 public and charter schools to provide mental health education to students – mental health as part of overall health, signs and symptoms, how to get help, etc.

View S.240

View H.497

View Fact Sheet for Mental Health Education Bill

Includes 988 on all student identification cards

View S.1237

View H.1999

This will require the courts to:
— determine if a parent’s disability causes actual harm to a child based on evidence, not assumptions
— explain, in writing, if a parent’s disability is a negative factor in custody and parenting time decisions
— assess if the harm can be avoided with adaptive equipment or supportive services for the parent

View S.1037

View H.1601

Fact Sheet for S1037/H1601 (formerly SD679/HD2670)

Requires parity for behavioral health in regard to disability insurance related to employment

View H.940

View S.669