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March 19, 2024 Clouds | 34°F
The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE MASSACHUSETTS CHILD PSYCHIATRY ACCESS PROGRAM

      Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to provide for the Massachusetts child psychiatry access program, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.     

     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 19 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 16 the following section:-
     Section 16A.  (a) Subject to appropriation, the department shall operate a statewide program to provide remote mental health consultations available for a at least 5 days a week to pediatricians, family physicians, nurse practitioners and primary care practices for persons under the age of 19 who exhibit a possible mental health or substance use disorder and to health care providers of women who are presenting with signs of postpartum depression.
     (b)  Expenditures on the program by the department that are related to services provided on behalf of commercially-insured clients shall be assessed by the commissioner on surcharge payors as defined in section 64 of chapter 118E.
     SECTION 2.  This act shall take effect as of July 1, 2016.

Approved, July 22, 2016.