Massachusetts legislation · 194th General Court
Massachusetts H4062: An Act relative to essential services
Status: In committee, July 9, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text, May 1, 2025:
Section 51G of chapter 111 of the General Laws, as amended by section 63 of chapter 343 of the acts of 2024, is hereby further amended by striking out paragraph (4) and inserting in place thereof the following paragraph:- (4) Any hospital shall inform the department 90 days prior to the closing of the hospital or the discontinuance of any essential health service provided therein. The department shall by regulation define the words “essential health service” for the purposes of this section. The department shall, in the event that a hospital proposes to discontinue an essential health service or services, conduct a public hearing on the closure of said essential services or of the hospital, and the department may seek an analysis of the impact of the closure from the health policy commission. The department shall determine whether any such discontinued services are necessary for preserving access and health status in the hospital's service area and shall require hospitals to submit a plan for assuring access to such necessary services following the hospital's closure of the service and assure continuing access to such services in the event that the department determines that their closure will significantly reduce access to necessary services. The department, in making any determination on the closure of said essential services or a hospital, shall: (i) consider …
Sponsors
- John Lawn (D) · primary sponsor
- David Linsky (D, 5th Middlesex)
Latest actions
- : Reporting date extended to Friday, July 31, 2026
- : Hearing scheduled for 06/02/2025 from 11:00 AM-03:00 PM in Gardner Auditorium
- : Senate concurred
- : Referred to the committee on Health Care Financing
Common questions
- What is H4062?
- H4062 is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature (194th General Court): An Act relative to essential services.
- What is the status of H4062?
- In committee as of July 9, 2026. Latest action: Reporting date extended to Friday, July 31, 2026 (July 9, 2026).
- Who sponsored H4062?
- John Lawn (D), with 1 co-sponsor.
- Where is the official record for H4062?
- On the Massachusetts Legislature website: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4062
Source: official Massachusetts record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.