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S708 • 2025

An Act preserving access to treatment for patients with serious mental illnesses

An Act preserving access to treatment for patients with serious mental illnesses

Active

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

Sponsor
John J. Cronin
Last action
2026-02-09
Official status
Referred to Senate Committee on Ways and Means
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 preserving access to treatment for patients with serious mental illnesses

An Act preserving access to treatment for patients with serious mental illnesses By Mr.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act preserving access to treatment for patients with serious mental illnesses By Mr.
  • Cronin, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No.
  • 708) of John J.
  • Cronin for legislation to preserve access to treatment for patients with serious mental illnesses.

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. 2026-02-09 Senate

    Committee recommended ought to pass and referred to the committee on Senate Ways and Means

  2. 2025-12-11 Senate

    Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Health Care Financing

  3. 2025-09-09 Joint

    Hearing rescheduled to 09/09/2025 from 10:30 AM-12:30 PM in A-2 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time

  4. 2025-09-03 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 09/09/2025 from 10:30 AM-1:00 PM in A-2 and virtual

  5. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Referred to the committee on Financial Services

  6. 2025-02-27 House

    House concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act preserving access to treatment for patients with serious mental illnesses
By Mr. Cronin, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 708) of John J. Cronin for legislation to preserve access to treatment for patients with serious mental illnesses. Financial Services.
Status:
Referred to Senate Committee on Ways and Means

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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Bill S.708

SECTION 1. Section 1 of Chapter 176O of the Massachusetts general laws is hereby amended by inserting the following new definition: -

“Serious mental illness,” any of the following conditions, as defined by the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders:

(1) Bipolar disorders, hypomanic, manic, depressive, and mixed.

(2) Childhood and adolescent depression.

(3) Major depressive disorders, single episode or recurrent.

(4) Obsessive-compulsive disorders.

(5) Paranoid personality disorder and other psychotic disorders.

(6) Schizo-affective disorders, bipolar or depressive.

(7) Schizophrenia.

(8) Post-traumatic stress disorder.

SECTION 2. Section 12A of said Chapter 176O is hereby further amended by inserting after subsection (g) the following new subsection:-

(h) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a carrier or utilization review organization shall not, with respect to a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of serious mental illness, impose a prior authorization requirement, step therapy protocol, or any other protocol that could restrict or delay the dispensing of the drug.

SECTION 3. Section 8 of Chapter 118E of the Massachusetts general laws is hereby amended by inserting therein the following new definition:-

i½. “Serious mental illness”,

any of the following conditions, as defined by the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders:

(1) Bipolar disorders, hypomanic, manic, depressive, and mixed.

(2) Childhood and adolescent depression.

(3) Major depressive disorders, single episode or recurrent.

(4) Obsessive-compulsive disorders.

(5) Paranoid personality disorder and other psychotic disorders.

(6) Schizo-affective disorders, bipolar or depressive.

(7) Schizophrenia.

(8) Post-traumatic stress disorder.

SECTION 4.

Section 51A of said chapter 118E is hereby further amended by inserting after subsection (f) the following new subsection: -

(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the division or an entity with which the division contracts to provide or manage health insurance benefits shall not, with respect to a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of serious mental illness, impose a prior authorization requirement, step therapy protocol, or any other protocol that could restrict or delay the dispensing of the drug.

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