HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3840        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

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

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Mindy Domb and Marjorie C. Decker

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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 measuring the impact of Long COVID in the Commonwealth.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3840        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

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

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

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An Act measuring the impact of Long COVID in the Commonwealth.

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 111 of the General Laws, as so appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 244 the following section:-

Section 245. (a) The department shall create a surveillance case definition for Long COVID also known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) that aligns with the definition established by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) and the diverse associated conditions as described in it.

(b) The department shall determine the most effective and efficient method to conduct active surveillance on the condition known as Long COVID (PASC) to better understand its prevalence and impact on the Commonwealth’s population and health care systems and inform public health interventions.

(c)The department shall develop a case report form to support these active surveillance efforts. This case report form may collect the following information on patients diagnosed with Long COVID (PASC): (i) gender identity, (ii) race, (iii) year of birth, (iv) county of residence, (v) state of residence (vi) primary language, (vii) presenting symptom(s) or condition(s) allowing for the diagnosis, (ix) date of initial infection with COVID-19, (x) date of onset of Long COVID (PASC) symptoms, (xi) county of diagnosis. The case report form may collect information on treatment received and referrals provided.

(d) The department shall commence active public health surveillance of Long COVID (PASC) six months after enactment of this act. The department shall determine the frequency to make statewide surveillance reports available to the public, no less than on an annual basis.

(e) Not later than one year after the enactment of this act the department shall  provide a report to the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate and to the chairs of the joint committee on public health  on the progress of the commonwealth’s Long COVID (PASC) surveillance efforts. The report shall include the status of the development and dissemination of a surveillance form, the department outreach and education on Long COVID (PASC) surveillance, and initial surveillance results.