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April 17, 2026 Clouds | 61°F
The 194th General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Bill S.1659 194th (Current)

An Act relative to crisis intervention services for emergency service providers; confidentiality of information

By Mr. Cronin, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1659) of John J. Cronin for legislation to allow emergency service providers performing crisis intervention services to keep information confidential from a third party. Public Safety and Homeland Security.

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Bill Information

Presenter:
John J. Cronin
Status:
Referred to Senate Committee on Rules
This bill proposes amendments to Section 20O of Chapter 233 of the General Laws, focusing on the confidentiality of communications during critical incident stress management sessions between emergency service providers and certified or licensed mental health professionals. The key provision is the confidentiality of these communications, which cannot be disclosed to third parties, except under specific conditions. Exceptions to this confidentiality include situations where there is reasonable cause to believe the provider needs hospital treatment for mental or emotional disorders, poses an imminent threat, has engaged in reportable conduct, legal violations, or admitted to criminal behavior. Additionally, disclosure is permitted if confidentiality is waived by the emergency service provider. The bill also clarifies terminology by defining "certified emergency service provider," "confidential information," "crisis intervention," and "critical incident," ensuring consistent understanding and application of services. It requires that service providers offering crisis intervention must be certified and verify their certification to their employer on an annual basis. Employers are tasked with maintaining this certification documentation and must provide it upon request to the Secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security. In cases where a certified emergency service provider breaches confidentiality, the employer is obliged to report this violation to either the Massachusetts Peer Support Network or the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc. Such breach will result in the violator being decertified, preventing them from providing crisis intervention services for a period of five years.
* The bill summary was created by the Primary Sponsor of the bill; no committee of the General Court certifies the accuracy of its contents.

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