SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1783        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 866

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Nick Collins

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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 relative to saving lives.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1783        FILED ON: 1/18/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 866

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

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An Act relative to saving lives.

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. Section 35 of chapter 123 of the Massachusetts General Laws is hereby further amended by inserting after the third paragraph the following paragraph:-  "When the court is closed for business, upon filing of a petition by a person authorized to do so under the second paragraph, a justice of the court may order a person to be committed to a facility designated by the department of public health if the court finds that the person is an individual with a substance use disorder and finds that there is a grave likelihood of serious harm as a result of the person's substance use disorder; provided, however, that at the next available opportunity, or at the next business day, whichever is sooner, the person shall receive a hearing in accordance with the preceding paragraph; and provided further, that an order issued pursuant to this paragraph shall expire not more than 72 hours after the issuance of the order, at which point the person committed shall be immediately released from commitment or transported to the court for a hearing.  The court may adopt rules and procedures to implement this paragraph"