Section 111:245 - [Multiple versions] [Effective 11/21/2024] Awareness initiative regarding heightened risk of suicide associated with the possession of a firearm(a) The commissioner shall develop and disseminate to the public, information regarding pregnancy loss, including miscarriage and recurrent miscarriage, which shall include information on: (i) the awareness of pregnancy loss and the incidence and prevalence of pregnancy loss among pregnant people; and(ii) the accessibility of the range of evidence-based treatment options, as medically appropriate, for pregnancy loss, including, but not limited to, comprehensive mental health supports, necessary procedures and medications and culturally responsive supports including pregnancy loss doula care. The commissioner shall ensure that information disseminated pursuant to this section is available in multiple languages, including, but not limited to Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Haitian Creole and other spoken languages in the commonwealth.(b) The commissioner may disseminate information to the public directly through the department's website or through arrangements with agencies carrying out intra-agency initiatives, nonprofit organizations, consumer groups, community organizations, institutions of higher education or state or local public-private partnerships.(c) The commissioner shall develop and coordinate programs for conducting and supporting evidence-based research with respect to the causes of pregnancy loss and treatment options.(d) The commissioner shall, in consultation with and in accordance with guidelines from relevant professional boards of registration, develop and disseminate to perinatal health care workers information on pregnancy loss to ensure that such perinatal health care workers remain informed about current information regarding pregnancy loss and prioritizing both the physical and mental health care of patients experiencing pregnancy loss. For the purposes of this subsection, the term "perinatal health care worker" shall include, but shall not be limited to, a physician, certified nurse-midwife, licensed certified professional midwife, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, doula, community health worker, peer supporter, licensed lactation consultant, nutritionist or dietitian, childbirth educator, social worker, trained family support specialist or home visitor, and language interpreter or navigator.(e) The commissioner shall, in a manner that protects personal privacy and complies with federal law, collect and assess data regarding pregnancy loss, including information disaggregated by race, ethnicity, health insurance status, disability, income level and geography on the prevalence of, the incidence of and knowledge about pregnancy loss.Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 111, § 245
Added by Acts 2024, c. 186,§ 21, eff. 11/21/2024.