HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1490        FILED ON: 1/18/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2221

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

John J. Lawn, Jr.

_________________

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 improving health care for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities including autism.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

John J. Lawn, Jr.

10th Middlesex

1/18/2023

Sean Garballey

23rd Middlesex

1/24/2023

Josh S. Cutler

6th Plymouth

1/31/2023

Michael J. Finn

6th Hampden

1/31/2023

Smitty Pignatelli

3rd Berkshire

1/31/2023

Lindsay N. Sabadosa

1st Hampshire

2/2/2023

Kay Khan

11th Middlesex

2/2/2023

Kathleen R. LaNatra

12th Plymouth

2/2/2023

Vanna Howard

17th Middlesex

2/2/2023

Michael D. Brady

Second Plymouth and Norfolk

2/7/2023

Brian M. Ashe

2nd Hampden

2/7/2023

Jack Patrick Lewis

7th Middlesex

2/7/2023

Tram T. Nguyen

18th Essex

2/7/2023

Steven S. Howitt

4th Bristol

2/7/2023

Kimberly N. Ferguson

1st Worcester

2/8/2023

Patrick M. O'Connor

First Plymouth and Norfolk

2/8/2023

Paul McMurtry

11th Norfolk

2/8/2023

David Allen Robertson

19th Middlesex

2/9/2023

Carmine Lawrence Gentile

13th Middlesex

2/13/2023

William C. Galvin

6th Norfolk

2/13/2023

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

2/13/2023

Denise C. Garlick

13th Norfolk

2/15/2023

James Arciero

2nd Middlesex

2/15/2023

Carol A. Doherty

3rd Bristol

2/23/2023

Bruce E. Tarr

First Essex and Middlesex

2/23/2023

Natalie M. Higgins

4th Worcester

2/23/2023

Bradley H. Jones, Jr.

20th Middlesex

2/23/2023

Kate Lipper-Garabedian

32nd Middlesex

3/6/2023

Adrian C. Madaro

1st Suffolk

4/4/2023

Hannah Kane

11th Worcester

4/25/2023

James C. Arena-DeRosa

8th Middlesex

7/11/2023

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

7/11/2023


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1490        FILED ON: 1/18/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2221

By Representative Lawn of Watertown, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2221) of John J. Lawn, Jr., and others that the Department of Public Health establish a voluntary certification training program for care of certain patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities including autism.  Public Health.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2279 OF 2021-2022.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

_______________

 

An Act improving health care for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities including autism.

 

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. Chapter 17 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following section:-

Section 21.

(a) As used in this section, the following words shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly requires otherwise:

“Certified training program”, a voluntary training and accreditation program, accredited by the department pursuant to this section, for medical professionals focusing on instruction of best practices for the treatment and care of patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders.

“Department”, the department of public health,

“Director”, the director of the department of family health and nutrition, within the department.

“Operation House Call”, an existing program, developed by The Arc of Massachusetts, which teaches young medical professionals essential skills to enhance the health care of persons with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities that shall serve as the baseline training model.

“School”, any institution of higher education providing a course of study for students in medicine or related fields.

(b) In conjunction with the department of developmental services, and the Arc of Massachusetts, the department shall establish and provide for the administration of a voluntary certified training program for:

(i) medical schools seeking certification under subsection (d);

(ii) nursing schools seeking certification under subsection (d);

(iii) dental schools seeking certification under subsection (d);

(iv) other institutions of higher education with a course of study for medical practitioners, including but not limited to physicians assistants, dieticians, nutritionists, physical therapists, dental hygienists, allied mental health and human service professionals seeking certification under subsection (d).

(c) The certified program established pursuant to this section shall:

(i) be structured based upon Operation House Call;

(ii) be offered to participating students on a voluntary basis that is separate from their required course of study;

(iii) maintain recognized standards and practices that:

(A) uphold industry standards for instructing healthcare professionals on best practices for the treatment and care for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including but not limited to autism spectrum disorders;

(B) include didactic classroom instruction, experiential learning and online learning, totaling not less than 6 hours;

(C) address the health care needs of patients with intersecting marginalized identities, including those belonging to minority race or ethnic groups, through training content and recruitment of diverse program participants.

(d) The department shall certify that a school offers a certified training program, as described in subsection (c), upon receipt and review that:

(i) the school has successfully delivered the certified training program to a sufficient number of participating students as mutually agreed upon by the institution and the provider of the training; and

(ii) that the program meets the minimum standards and practices, as provided in subsection (c).

(e) The director shall periodically evaluate the quality of training being provided to schools seeking certification and the integrity and efficacy of the accreditation program.

(f) The department shall prepare, publish and disseminate a list of schools certified pursuant to this section; provided, however, that the list shall be updated annually. The list shall be published in a location that is accessible to prospective students seeking to apply to attend schools in the medical field or related fields.