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H2198 • 2025

An Act reducing emergency department boarding

An Act reducing emergency department boarding

Active

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

Sponsor
Marjorie C. Decker
Last action
2026-03-25
Official status
Accompanied a new draft, see H5275
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 reducing emergency department boarding

An Act reducing emergency department boarding By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act reducing emergency department boarding By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 2198) of Marjorie C.
  • Decker relative to emergency department boarding.
  • Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery.

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

  1. 2026-03-25 House

    Accompanied a new draft, see H5275

  2. 2025-12-24 House

    Reporting date extended to Wednesday, March 18, 2026

  3. 2025-09-26 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 10/06/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2

  4. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery

  5. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act reducing emergency department boarding
By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2198) of Marjorie C. Decker relative to emergency department boarding. Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery.

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.2198

Section 1. Section 12 of Chapter 123 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding after the first paragraph in subsection (a) the following paragraphs:-

No person shall be involuntarily held for more than 72 hours at a facility that has not been authorized by the department to perform evaluations under section 12(b). Any person held longer than 72 hours must be released.

Any psychiatric hold lasting for more than 48 hours at a facility that has not been authorized by the department to perform evaluations under section 12(b) must be referred to the Committee for Public Counsel Services for appointment of counsel.

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