Massachusetts legislation · 194th General Court
Massachusetts H4892: An Act preserving access to treatment for patients with serious mental illnesses
Status: In committee, August 4, 2026
What the bill says
From the introduced text, January 8, 2026:
SECTION 1. Section 1 of chapter 176O of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting therein 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, as so appearing, 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 General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting therein the following new definition: - i½. “Serious mental illness”, any of the following conditions, as defined by the most …
Sponsors
- Services, Joint Committee on Financial (I) · primary sponsor
- Marjorie Decker (D, 25th Middlesex)
- Jeffrey Roy (D, 10th Norfolk)
- Carole Fiola (D)
- Lindsay Sabadosa (D, 1st Hampshire)
- Kathleen LaNatra (D, 12th Plymouth)
- Rob Consalvo (D, 14th Suffolk)
- Natalie Higgins (D, 4th Worcester)
- Christopher Worrell (D)
- Danillo Sena (D)
- Mike Connolly (D, 26th Middlesex)
- Samantha Montaño (D)
Latest actions
- : Committee recommended bill ought to pass and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means
- : Reporting date extended to Thursday, December 31, 2026
- : Reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Health Care Financing
- : New draft of H1128
- : Reported from the committee on Financial Services
Votes
- Committee Vote - Joint Committee on Health Care Financing (July 16, 2026): 13 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Committee Vote - Joint Committee on Financial Services (December 8, 2025): 11 yea, 0 nay, passed
Common questions
- What is H4892?
- H4892 is a bill in the Massachusetts Legislature (194th General Court): An Act preserving access to treatment for patients with serious mental illnesses.
- What is the status of H4892?
- In committee as of August 4, 2026. Latest action: Committee recommended bill ought to pass and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means (August 4, 2026).
- Who sponsored H4892?
- Services, Joint Committee on Financial (I), with 11 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for H4892?
- On the Massachusetts Legislature website: https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H4892
Source: official Massachusetts record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.