HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4519        FILED ON: 2/9/2016

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Michael J. Finn

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act requiring certain group homes to provide community notice.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 4519        FILED ON: 2/9/2016

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

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An Act requiring certain group homes to provide community notice.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Subsection (a) of section 19 of chapter 19 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-

The department shall require as a condition of the issuance of a license for any such facility, department or ward that offers residential treatment or care services to the public that the owner publish notice in a newspaper having a circulation in the city or town where the facility is located no less than 30 days prior to operation. The notice shall provide: (i) the name of the owner of the facility and the owner’s mission statement, if any; (ii) the facility’s stated purpose; (iii) the names, phone numbers, email addresses or other means of contact for staff members designated by the owner to answer questions and receive complaints from the residents of such town, city or county; and (iv) the number of residents who will reside in the facility as well as the number of employees present at the facility at all times. The department shall promulgate regulations requiring that the same notice be published by any such facilities not required to be licensed under clause (1) of the preceding paragraph.

SECTION 2. Subsection (a) of section 15 of chapter 19B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-

The department shall require as a condition of the issuance of a license for any such facility, department or ward that offers residential treatment or care services to the public that the owner publish notice in a newspaper having a circulation in the city or town where the facility is located no less than 30 days prior to operation. The notice shall provide: (i) the name of the owner of the facility and the owner’s mission statement, if any; (ii) the facility’s stated purpose; (iii) the names, phone numbers, email addresses or other means of contact for staff members designated by the owner to answer questions and receive complaints from the residents of such town, city or county; and (iv) the number of residents who will reside in the facility as well as the number of employees present at the facility at all times. The department shall promulgate regulations requiring that the same notice be published by any such facilities not required to be licensed under clause (1) of the preceding paragraph.

SECTION 3. Section 6A of chapter 111B of the General Laws, as so appearing, is hereby amended by inserting after the first paragraph the following paragraph:-

The department shall require as a condition of the issuance of a license for a halfway house for alcoholics that the owner publish notice in a newspaper having a circulation in the city or town where the house is located no less than 30 days prior to operation. The notice shall provide: (i) the name of the owner of the halfway house for alcoholics and the owner’s mission statement, if any; (ii) the halfway house for alcoholics’ stated purpose; (iii) the names, phone numbers, email addresses or other means of contact for staff members designated by the owner to answer questions and receive complaints from the residents of such town, city or county; and (iv) the number of residents who will reside in the halfway house for alcoholics as well as the number of employees present at the house at all times.