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.

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 PAC Team. We are happy to provide you with support in learning more about any piece of legislation.

If you are interested in providing oral or written testimony for any of our priority legislation, please email policy@namimass.org with the bill number in the subject line and we will keep you updated on hearing schedules.

Questions? Email policy@naminmass.org

S.709/H.1135: An Act for supportive care for serious mental illness

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.709

View H.1135

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 2029 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.1399

S.283/H.383: An Act expanding licensure opportunity for school counselors

Currently, there are barriers that significantly limit Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) credentialed school counselors from taking steps to becoming a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). This bill would reduce barriers yet maintain the licensing requirements for securing a license as a LMHC by:

• Allowing for previously completed coursework to be counted toward the licensing requirements for pursuing a LMHC.
• Allow for supervision required licensure to be conducted in a school setting.
• Allow for school counselors working in school settings to count hours providing therapeutic services toward required supervision hours for licensure.
• Allow school counselors to sit for the qualifying exam to become a LMHC.

View S.283

View H.383

S.708/H.1128: An Act preserving access to treatment for patients with serious mental illness

This legislation makes significant strides in advancing patient equity by eliminating prior authorization, step therapy protocols, and other barriers that could restrict or delay access to medication for patients with serious mental illness within health insurance carriers or utilization review organizations.

View S.708

View H.1128

Includes the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on all student identification cards.

View S.1384

View H.2221

Codifies the Roadmap for Behavioral Health Reform introduced in 2021 and enacted in 2023. This legislation aims to coordinate and align processes across the state behavioral health care system. Additionally these reforms aim to expand access to treatment, particularly in community-based settings rather than relying on emergency services, and providing residents with more options for care and treatment that is culturally relevant. The bill also seeks to increase transparency, by making a public data dashboard on the progress and utilization of roadmap services, inequities, and disparities in the implementation.

View S.1394

View H.2193

This legislation enhances access to essential mental health services and medications while reducing administrative burdens related to prior authorization. It prohibits carriers and utilization review entities from retrospectively denying, revoking, or limiting services or medications.

Key provisions include:

• A minimum 90-day grace period for prior authorization protocols for patients stabilized on a treatment upon plan enrollment.
• A ban on prior authorization for generic medications and treatments.
• Extended validity for prior authorizations, requiring them to last for the full duration of treatment or at least one year.
• A 24-hour response time for carriers when an enrollee’s well-being is at risk.

Additionally, the bill mandates the Health Policy Commission (HPC) to report on the impact of prior authorization on patient access, administrative burden, and system costs. It also requires a public data dashboard to disclose insurer data on prior authorization approvals, denials, appeals, wait times, and more.

View S.1403 

View H. 1136

H.2199: An Act ending unnecessary hospitalizations

Prioritizes placing an individual in a community alternative before applying for involuntary detention by a professional or police officer and shall arrange for transportation for the individual.

View H.2199

H.2198: An Act reducing emergency department boarding

Prevents individuals from being involuntarily held for more than 72 hours by a facility that is not authorized by the Department of Mental Health (DMH) to perform evaluations. Any psychiatric hold lasting more than 48 hours at a facility that has not been authorized by DMH to perform evaluations must be referred to the Committee on Public Counsel Services for appointment of counsel.

View H.2198

S.1389/H.2211: An Act modernizing the 6 fundamental rights

Establishes the statutory rights of all people receiving mental health services in state hospitals, community mental health centers, and residential programs or inpatient facilities. They include:

1. Reasonable access to telephone or videophone to make confidential calls, including access to contact information stored on the individual’s phone.
2. The ability to send and receive sealed, unopened, uncensored mail or electronic mail.
3. The right to receive or refuse visitors daily and in private at reasonable times.
4. A humane psychological and physical environment.
5. The ability to receive at a reasonable time or refuse to receive visits and phone calls from a client’s attorney or legal advocate, physician, psychologist, clergy member, peer supporter, recovery coach, social worker, and therapist or any mental care provider.
6. Reasonable daily access to the outdoors, weather permitting.

View S.1389

View H.2211

Creates a special commission to study the staffing levels and delivery of services for case managers at the Department of Mental Health (DMH) tasked with serving adults with acute mental illness.

View S.1407

Requires the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) to establish and provide oversight to the Equitable Approaches to Public Health grant program, which will increase the availability of non-law enforcement, unarmed, community-based response options for emergency calls.

View H.2529

S.1164/H.1852: An Act prohibiting discrimination against adults with disabilities in Family and Juvenile Court proceedings

Prohibits discrimination against adults with disabilities in Family and Juvenile Court proceedings. Judges must make written findings to determine if there is a nexus between a parent’s disability and actual harm to the child when making a custody or parenting time decision. Additionally, they must also determine if any supportive parenting services or adaptive equipment might alleviate that harm.

View S.1164

View H.1852

View Fact Sheet

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

View S.1386

View H.3291

View H.3313

View Fact Sheet for BSH 

Allows for the Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health (DMH) to have supervision of mental health services to incarcerated individuals under the custody of the Department of Corrections (DOC).

View H.2201

988 Commission

The 988 Commission was established in 2022 with the enactment of Chapter 177 of the Acts of 2022, and is responsible for providing ongoing strategic oversight and guidance in all matters regarding 988 service in Massachusetts. 988 is the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Behavioral Health Helpline Advisory Council

The advisory council oversees the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Helpline, a free, confidential service designed to connect residents with clinical help and treatment for behavioral health services.

Community Behavioral Health Promotion and Prevention Commission

The commission was established by the enactment of Chapter 208, Section 1 of the Acts of 2018, and is charged with working to promote positive mental, emotional, and behavioral health and early intervention for persons with a mental health condition, and to prevent substance use disorders among residents of the Commonwealth.

Department of Mental Health (DMH)/NAMI Massachusetts Family Advisory Council (FAC)

The DMH/NAMI Mass FAC is a group of family members of people living with mental health conditions from across the state, who provide family perspectives to inform DMH policies, programs, and services. The FAC plays a vital role in ensuring that family voices help shape policies that impact their loved ones.

Expedited Psychiatric Inpatient Admission (EPIA) Advisory Council

The EPIA Advisory Council is within the Department of Mental Health (DMH) and investigates and makes recommendations for policies and solutions regarding the emergency department boarding of patients seeking mental health and substance use disorder services. The advisory council implements the EPIA protocol, collects data on the number of patients boarding in emergency departments and the reasons for the extended wait times, and makes recommendations for measures to reduce wait times for admissions.

Massachusetts First Episode Psychosis Crisis Diversion Subcommittee

The Crisis Diversion Subcommittee of the Massachusetts First Episode Psychosis Advisory Board evaluates the crisis response system for youth and young adults experiencing psychosis. This cross-disciplinary group unites professionals from state service systems, crisis response teams, police departments, clinical settings, and advocacy organizations across the state. Together, they work to enhance coordination and improve crisis response services for young people facing psychosis.

Middlesex County Restoration Center Commission

The Middlesex County Restoration Center Commission was established in Section 225 of Chapter 69 of the Acts of 2018, An Act relative to criminal justice reform. The goal of the commission is to plan and implement a county restoration center and program to divert persons suffering from mental health conditions or substance use disorder who interact with law enforcement or the court system during a pre-arrest investigation or the pre-adjudication process from lock up facilities and hospital emergency departments to appropriate treatment.

The commission has reviewed the gaps and needs in behavioral health and diversionary services in Middlesex County; identified a need for a restoration pilot program; and researched and defined a target population and service model.

Patient and Family Advisory Council

The Middlesex County Restoration Center Commission was established in Section 225 of Chapter 69 of the Acts of 2018, An Act relative to criminal justice reform. The goal of the commission is to plan and implement a county restoration center and program to divert persons suffering from mental health conditions or substance use disorder who interact with law enforcement or the court system during a pre-arrest investigation or the pre-adjudication process from lock up facilities and hospital emergency departments to appropriate treatment.

The commission has reviewed the gaps and needs in behavioral health and diversionary services in Middlesex County; identified a need for a restoration pilot program; and researched and defined a target population and service model.

State Mental Health Planning Council Housing Subcommittee

As a subcommittee of the State Mental Health Planning Council, the Housing Subcommittee works to ensure that DMH clients have access to safe, decent, and affordable housing. These homes provide voluntary, flexible support to foster recovery and are integrated into the broader community.

State Mental Health Planning Council

The State Mental Health Planning Committee is a standing committee of the Mental Health Advisory Council to the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH). It provides guidance on policies and programs impacting individuals at risk for or experiencing behavioral health conditions, as well as their families and chosen families. The committee also advocates for decisions and actions that promote and protect their health and well-being.

Special Commission on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

The Special Commission on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was established in 2024 under Section 149 of Chapter 176 of the Acts of 2024: An Act Honoring and Recognizing Servicemembers and Veterans. Its mission is to assess progress in PTSD research, diagnosis, treatment, and support services across Massachusetts. The commission will then develop a strategic plan to enhance health outcomes by advancing research, improving treatment and diagnosis, increasing public awareness, strengthening mental health care delivery, and expanding biomedical research on PTSD.

Young Adult Advisory Board at UMass Chan Medical School

The Young Adult Advisory Board consists of individuals aged 18-30 who have lived experience with mental health conditions. They provide feedback on research projects and products, using their perspectives to help UMass Chan Medical School make its research more youth-friendly and relevant.