Bill > S2128

This bill establishes a special commission on local and regional public health, tasked with evaluating how well municipal and regional public health systems in Massachusetts are working and suggesting ways to improve public health services and preventative care. The commission will have 22 members, including various state officials like the Secretary of Administration and Finance and the Commissioner of Public Health (who will chair it), representatives from public health organizations, and appointees by the Governor with expertise in areas like academic research, community health centers, hospital systems, workforce development, and different types of municipalities. Additionally, two members of the General Court (the Massachusetts legislature) will serve on the commission. The commission's duties include comparing local public health capacity to national standards, assessing how well local authorities can fulfill their legal duties, examining state and local funding for public health, evaluating the qualifications of the public health workforce, reviewing regional collaboration models, and tracking progress on past recommendations for regionalization. The commission can gather public input and must submit a final report by July 31, 2017, to the Governor and legislative committees, detailing its findings, reviewing other states' systems, identifying strengths and weaknesses in Massachusetts, and proposing recommendations for organizational and financial models, resource sharing, data reporting, necessary resources, and workforce development.