Massachusetts legislation · 194th General Court
Massachusetts H2414: An Act relative to patient assessment and notification prior to prescribing certain medications
Status: In committee, July 30, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text, February 27, 2025:
SECTION 1. Section 1 of chapter 94C of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the definition of “Agent” the following definition:- “Benzodiazepine”, any substance or drug that: (i) contains a benzene ring fused to a 7 member diazepine ring; (ii) results in the depression of the central nervous system; (iii) is primarily intended to treat insomnia, convulsions and anxiety; and (iv) is used for muscle relaxation and pre-operation treatment, including alprazolam, clonazepam, diazepam, lorazepam and temazepam. SECTION 2. Said section 1 of said chapter 94C, as so amended, is hereby further amended by inserting after the definition of “Narcotic drug” the following definition:- “Non-benzodiazepine hypnotic”, any substance or drug that produces effects similar to that of a benzodiazepine and is primarily intended to treat insomnia, including zaleplon, zopiclone and zolpidem. SECTION 3. Section 18A of said chapter 94C, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out subsection (a) and inserting in place thereof the following subsection:- (a) Prior to prescribing an extended-release long-acting opioid in a non-abuse deterrent form for outpatient use for the first time, a practitioner registered under section 7, not including veterinarians, shall conduct a review with a patient, and if the patient is a minor, the patient’s parent or legal guardian, …
Sponsors
- Carole Fiola (D) · primary sponsor
- Paul McMurtry (D, 11th Norfolk)
- Brian Murray (D, 10th Worcester)
Latest actions
- : Committee recommended bill ought to pass and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means
- : Reporting date extended to Friday, July 31, 2026
- : Reporting date extended to Monday, June 15, 2026
- : Reporting date extended to Wednesday, March 18, 2026
- : Reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Health Care Financing
- : Hearing scheduled for 06/11/2025 from 09:00 AM-01:00 PM in A-1
- : Senate concurred
- : Referred to the committee on Public Health
Votes
- Committee Vote - Joint Committee on Health Care Financing (July 16, 2026): 13 yea, 0 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is H2414?
- H2414 is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature (194th General Court): An Act relative to patient assessment and notification prior to prescribing certain medications.
- What is the status of H2414?
- In committee as of July 30, 2026. Latest action: Committee recommended bill ought to pass and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means (July 30, 2026).
- Who sponsored H2414?
- Carole Fiola (D), with 2 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for H2414?
- On the Massachusetts Legislature website: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H2414
Source: official Massachusetts record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.