SENATE DOCKET, NO. 275        FILED ON: 1/13/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1221

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Barbara A. L'Italien

_________________

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 creating Autism teams in hospitals.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Barbara A. L'Italien

Second Essex and Middlesex

 

Jason M. Lewis

Fifth Middlesex

1/26/2017

Jack Lewis

7th Middlesex

1/30/2017

Donald F. Humason, Jr.

Second Hampden and Hampshire

1/30/2017

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

2/1/2017

Patrick M. O'Connor

Plymouth and Norfolk

2/1/2017

Joan B.  Lovely

Second Essex

2/2/2017

Michael D. Brady

Second Plymouth and Bristol

2/2/2017

Sal N. DiDomenico

Middlesex and Suffolk

2/2/2017

José F. Tosado

9th Hampden

2/3/2017

James Arciero

2nd Middlesex

2/3/2017

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

2/6/2017


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 275        FILED ON: 1/13/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1221

 

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1180 OF 2015-2016.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

An Act creating Autism teams in hospitals.

 

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

Notwithstanding any general or special law, rule, or regulation to the contrary, to expand current medical providers' knowledge about autism, the department of public health will design and provide specialized training on autism through medical continuing education programs for primary care physicians, neurologists, psychiatrists, dentists, emergency room personnel and other medical specialists. Once the training on autism is implemented, the department of public health will design a pilot program to ultimately develop one "autism team" who could be called upon should a patient with autism enter the emergency room, need tests or x-rays, or need to be admitted. Members of the "team" will have completed the specialized training on autism and will be knowledgeable about autism and communication difficulties many people with autism have and advise medical doctors and other staff how to communicate with the patient.