H1859 • 2025

An Act titled Justina's law

Healthcare Parental Rights

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: Marc T. Lombardo
Last action: 2026-03-26
Official status: Accompanied a study order, see H5281 (under House Rule 27)
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act titled Justina's law

An Act titled Justina's law By Representative Lombardo of Billerica, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

An Act titled Justina's law By Representative Lombardo of Billerica, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
1859) of Marc T.
Lombardo relative to indemnifying parents and legal guardians who have followed medical care recommended by licensed medical or mental health providers.
The Judiciary.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-03-26 House
Accompanied a study order, see H5281 (under House Rule 27)
2025-10-20 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 06/10/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2
2025-06-05 Joint
Hearing scheduled for 06/10/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2
2025-02-27 House
Referred to the committee on The Judiciary
2025-02-27 Senate
Senate concurred
House
Reported by committee to Clerk’s Office for processing, will accompany a study order

Official Summary Text

An Act titled Justina's law
By Representative Lombardo of Billerica, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1859) of Marc T. Lombardo relative to indemnifying parents and legal guardians who have followed medical care recommended by licensed medical or mental health providers. The Judiciary.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

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Bill H.1859

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 119 be amended to add the following new section 51I:

51I: (a) A parent or legal guardian shall not be charged with abusing or neglecting a child’s need for medical care if:

(i) the parent or legal guardian has sought medical care for the child from a licensed medical or mental health provider;

(ii) the licensed medical or mental health provider has made a diagnosis;

(iii) the licensed medical or mental health provider has prescribed a lawful course of treatment; and

(iv) the parent or legal guardian is following or willing to follow the recommended course of treatment.

(b) No mandatory reporter, as defined in Section 21 of this Chapter, shall file a report of abuse or neglect under Section 51 of this Chapter based solely on a parent’s or legal guardian’s decision to follow the recommended treatment of a licensed medical or mental health provider. A parent or legal guardian has the right to follow the advice and treatment plan of a licensed medical or mental health provider over a contrary opinion or recommended treatment plan of another licensed medical or mental health provider when the decision does not involve immediate life-threatening conditions. Even in the case of life-threatening conditions, the decision of the parent or legal guardian to follow the advice or treatment plan of a licensed medical or mental health provider shall not be overridden unless there is clear and convincing evidence to the contrary.

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