An Act Relative to Modern Family Building (SD2081/HD2700)

Lead Sponsors: Sen. Julian Cyr and Rep. Natalie M. Higgins

Family building options will be made more accessible for LGBTQ families by creating a training module for physicians, which will provide information on increasing access to services, family building options for LGBTQ individuals, and the elimination of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender expression and identity. Key terms and guidelines for various fertility care treatments and diagnostic measures are also clarified.

An Act Relative to Endometriosis Awareness (SD2414)

Lead Sponsor: Sen. John C. Velis

This bill would create a special commission focused on endometriosis, which is a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the uterus. Endometriosis can cause severe pain during periods and intercourse, chronic pelvic pain, infertility, abdominal bloating, nausea, and fatigue. However, there is a widespread lack of funding, public awareness, and research surrounding this serious condition.

An Act Relative to the Creation of an Endometriosis Task Force (SD2389/HD4049)

Lead Sponsor: Sen. Robyn K. Kennedy, Rep. Lindsay N. Sabadosa and Rep. Christopher Hendricks

An endometriosis task force will be created by the executive office of health and human services and will consist of professionals in diverse fields who will combine efforts to develop and promote strategies regarding endometriosis research, access to care, treatment, and diagnosis.

An Act Relative to Adoptions (SD155/HD365)

Lead Sponsors: Sen. Cindy Creem and Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa

Many adoptive families are now facing delays, confusion and additional costs during the finalization of adoption, as some Massachusetts judges have refused to accept out-of-state birth parents. This bill would make a technical change to ensure that out-of-state birth parents engaging in an adoption with a Massachusetts family can use either the law of their state or Massachusetts law in consenting to the termination of parental rights, resulting in a more efficient adoption process for all involved.

An Act To Establish a Perinatal Behavioral Health Care Workforce Trust Fund (HD2877/SD992)

Lead Sponsors: Sen. Liz Miranda and Rep. Brandy Fluker-Reid

In Massachusetts and nationwide, postpartum depression and other Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) are an urgent mental health care crisis with at least 20% of new moms struggling with PMADs. Unfortunately, most parents facing these mental health challenges do NOT get identified or treated. And those facing racial and/or economic inequities are both more likely to suffer from PMADs and less likely to access treatment. This bill would create a fund to train mental health professionals in perinatal mental health, with a focus on expanding culturally congruent care, as recommended by the state’s Special Commission on Racial Inequities in Maternal Health.