An Act relative to minimizing suffering during the commitment process
Generates a plain-language summary of the bill text and history.
| Date | Branch | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 4/2/2026 | Senate | Committee recommended ought to pass and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means |
| 2/5/2026 | Senate | Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Health Care Financing |
| 11/18/2025 | Joint | Hearing rescheduled to 11/18/2025 from 01:00 PM-08:00 PM in A-1 and Virtual — Hearing updated to New End Time |
| 11/7/2025 | Joint | Hearing scheduled for 11/18/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-1 |
| 2/27/2025 | House | House concurred |
| 2/27/2025 | Senate | Referred to the committee on The Judiciary |
No additional cosponsors.
| Committee | Recommendation | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| J19 | Favorable | 1 entries |
| J24 | Favorable | 1 entries |
| Committee | Fiscal Amount |
|---|---|
| J24 | {'FiscalType': None, 'Amount': 'More Than 100,000.00 '} |
of chapter 123 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking, in lines 43-45 the words:- "The court shall order examination by a qualified physician, a qualified psychologist or a qualified social worker”, and inserting in place thereof the following:- Upon appearance or apprehension, the court shall have the individual examined by a physician or a qualified advanced practice registered nurse designated to have the authority to admit to a facility. If the physician or qualified advanced registered nurse reports that the failure to hospitalize or provide medical treatment to the individual would create a likelihood of serious harm, the court shall order the individual with alcohol or substance use disorder to be committed to a facility designated by the department of public health for treatment during the pendency of the petition.
Section 35 of chapter 123 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking, in lines 43-45 the words:- "The court shall order examination by a qualified physician, a qualified psychologist or a qualified social worker”, and inserting in place thereof the following:- Upon appearance or apprehension, the court shall have the individual examined by a physician or a qualified advanced practice registered nurse designated to have the authority to admit to a facility. If the physician or qualified advanced registered nurse reports that the failure to hospitalize or provide medical treatment to the individual would create a likelihood of serious harm, the court shall order the individual with alcohol or substance use disorder to be committed to a facility designated by the department of public health for treatment during the pendency of the petition.