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S 1619

Allows a licensed pharmacist to order and administer certain tests

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Addabbo and 15 co-sponsors

Requires trauma kits and trained Trauma Kit Designees in public buildings and large venues; enables bystander bleeding-control, protective liability, and local CPA funding.

REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION
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Bill Summary · S 1619

Summary — S.1619: The Massachusetts Trauma Response Preparedness Act

Status: REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION (bill filed Jan 14, 2025; introduced/read May 6, 2025).
Primary sponsor (presentation): Sen. Michael F. Rush. Topic: public-health / emergency preparedness.

Purpose

Require publicly accessible trauma kits and trained personnel in specified public buildings to enable bystanders to provide immediate bleeding control and basic trauma first aid until professional responders arrive.

Key provisions

  • Creates new Section 237 in Chapter 111 (the “Massachusetts Trauma Response Preparedness Act”).
  • Definitions
    • “Public Building”: (1) any state or local government building used for a public purpose (examples: public schools, town/city halls, libraries, transportation facilities, senior centers); or (2) any building regularly used by the public or funded by public sources with a listed maximum occupancy of at least 300 (examples: private/parochial schools, places of worship, meeting halls, recreational/entertainment/sporting venues).
    • “Trauma Kit”: must include at minimum an adequate tourniquet, gauze, gloves, and a training booklet as defined by the American College of Surgeons (or equivalent).
    • “Trauma Kit Designee”: a person trained and certified by a representative of the American College of Surgeons (or equivalent) in bleeding control.
  • Kit placement and quantity
    • All buildings defined as “Public Building” and any buildings required to house an AED under current statutes (chapter 93 §78A and chapter 71 §54C) must have clearly visible, centrally located, and easily accessible trauma kits ready for use at all times.
    • The Secretary of Health and Human Services will promulgate a formula (informed by American College of Surgeons research) to determine how many kits each building needs, taking building maximum capacity into account.
  • Staffing
    • Each applicable building must have on staff an appropriately qualified Trauma Kit Designee at all times.
    • AED and trauma kit storage may be shared and the same individual may serve as both an AED provider and Trauma Kit Designee.
  • Liability protection
    • Good-faith, uncompensated attempts to render emergency care (including bleeding control) are protected from liability except for acts amounting to gross negligence, willful, or wanton misconduct.
  • Reporting and funding changes
    • Amends Chapter 69 §8A to add school reporting of the availability and location of trauma kits and designated personnel.
    • Amends Chapter 44B (Community Preservation Fund) to allow cities/towns to appropriate CPA money for procurement of trauma kits and funding a trauma kit designee in municipal buildings or public schools per the new statute.

Who is affected

  • State and local government entities that operate public buildings (public schools, municipal buildings, libraries, senior centers, transit facilities, etc.).
  • Privately owned venues and schools funded by or regularly serving the public with occupancy ≥300.
  • Building operators/administrators (responsible for kit procurement, placement, staffing and compliance).
  • Bystanders and visitors who may receive life-saving bleeding-control interventions.
  • Municipalities choosing to use Community Preservation funds may finance compliance locally.

Implementation & oversight

  • The Secretary of Health and Human Services is directed to develop the kit-quantity formula and related implementation guidance (using ACS research).
  • Training standards and certification are tied to the American College of Surgeons or an equivalent organization.
  • No criminal penalties or enforcement mechanism are specified in the bill text; compliance mechanisms and timelines would depend on subsequent regulations or implementing guidance.

Legislative status / recent actions (selected)

  • Filed: Jan 14, 2025 (Senate Docket No. 562).
  • Introduced / read: May 6, 2025; referred to Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  • Reported favorably and referred to Senate Ways & Means (Sept 4, 2025).
  • Passed Senate and delivered to House (March 10, 2025); subsequently referred to the House committee on Higher Education.
    (Note: legislative action entries in the record include multiple committee referrals and calendar actions; current listing shows REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION.)

If you want, I can (1) draft a one-page compliance checklist for school and municipal administrators, or (2) extract the statutory text changes formatted for an executive summary.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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