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H2559 • 2025

An Act to protect a patient’s right to a support person at health care facilities

An Act to protect a patient’s right to a support person at health care facilities

Active

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

Sponsor
Marcus S. Vaughn
Last action
2026-03-16
Official status
Accompanied a study order, see H5235
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 to protect a patient’s right to a support person at health care facilities

An Act to protect a patient’s right to a support person at health care facilities By Representative Vaughn of Wrentham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to protect a patient’s right to a support person at health care facilities By Representative Vaughn of Wrentham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 2559) of Marcus S.
  • Vaughn and Sue Chester relative to patients' rights to a support person at health care facilities.
  • Public Health.

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. 2026-03-16 House

    Accompanied a study order, see H5235

  2. 2025-06-30 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 07/10/2025 from 09:00 AM-01:00 PM in A-1

  3. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Public Health

  4. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act to protect a patient’s right to a support person at health care facilities
By Representative Vaughn of Wrentham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2559) of Marcus S. Vaughn and Sue Chester relative to patients' rights to a support person at health care facilities. Public Health.

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.2559

Section 70E of chapter 111 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after subsection (o) the following subsection:-

(p) to a person of their choosing to serve as a support person. The support person may be present with the patient 24 hours a day in patient-accessible areas of the health care facility or provider’s office to accompany the patient while the patient is receiving inpatient or outpatient treatment or is consulting with their health care provider. A health care facility may temporarily restrict the presence of the support person during surgeries or emergency interventions. Health care facilities shall not require the support person to receive any vaccination as a condition for access to the patient.

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