Bill > S2522

This bill strengthens health care protections in Massachusetts, particularly for reproductive and gender-affirming health care services, by establishing comprehensive legal safeguards across multiple areas of state law. The bill creates protections that prevent state agencies, law enforcement, and businesses from cooperating with out-of-state investigations or actions targeting individuals providing or receiving reproductive or gender-affirming health care services that are legal in Massachusetts. Key provisions include prohibiting the sharing of personal information about health care providers, restricting the use of state resources to assist investigations into legally protected health care activities, protecting medical data privacy, preventing professional disciplinary actions against providers for such services, and ensuring that health care providers cannot be discriminated against in insurance coverage. The bill also includes specific protections for emergency medical treatment, patient confidentiality, and prevents courts from considering out-of-state actions against parents who support gender-affirming care for their children. Additionally, the legislation shields attorneys from professional discipline for representing clients in reproductive or gender-affirming health care matters and requires businesses that store medical information to develop robust privacy protection capabilities, all aimed at creating a comprehensive legal shield for these health care services within the state.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services, Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S2522