SECTION 1. (a) The department of public health shall establish a Kidney Disease Prevention and Education Task Force.

(b) The task force shall consist of the following members or a designee: The House and Senate Chairs of the Joint Committee on Public Health, who shall serve as co-chairs, and 12 members to be appointed by the co-chairs, 1 of whom shall be the commissioner of public health or their designee, 1 of whom shall be from the National Kidney Foundation New England, 2 of whom shall be kidney patients, 2 of whom shall represent minority public health organizations, 1 of whom shall represent a community health clinic, 1 of whom shall represent a not-for-profit organ procurement organization, 1 of whom shall represent the Nephrology Department at Mass General Brigham, 1 of whom shall represent the Joslin Diabetes Center, 1 of whom shall represent the Massachusetts Medical Society, 1 of whom shall represent a private health plan, 1 of whom shall represent Masshealth.

(c) The task force shall:

(1) Examine chronic kidney disease, transplantation, living and deceased kidney donation, and the existing disparity in the rates of those afflicted between Caucasians and minorities. 

(2) Examine ways to reduce the occurrence of chronic kidney disease by controlling the most common risk factors, diabetes and hypertension, through early detection and preventive efforts at the community level and disease management efforts in the primary care setting.

(3) Identify current barriers to adoption of best practices and potential policy options to address these barriers.

(4) Develop a sustainable cost-effective plan for prevention, early screening, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic kidney disease.

(5) Develop a sustainable plan to raise awareness about early detection and prevention while promoting health equity.

(6) Work directly with policymakers, public health entities, and educational institutions to create health education programs to reduce the burden of kidney disease throughout the State, which shall include an ongoing campaign that includes health education workshops and seminars, relevant research, and preventive screenings and that promotes social media campaigns and TV and radio commercials.

(7) Examine the potential for an opt-out donor registry. 

(d) The Task Force shall submit a report of its findings and recommendations on or before December 31, 2023 to the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives.