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Bill

SD 2604

An Act relative to health and transportation

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Bruce Tarr

Regional transit authorities must develop plans to improve timely access to medical services, including inter-regional connectivity, and submit them within 12 months.

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Bill Summary · SD 2604

Summary of Bill: An Act relative to health and transportation (Senate Docket No. 2604)

Overview

An Act relative to health and transportation seeks to improve access to medical services by requiring regional transit authorities (RTAs) in Massachusetts to develop plans that expand timely and efficient transportation to health-related services. The bill emphasizes connectivity across neighboring RTAs to facilitate movement between regions as needed. Provisions are framed as mandatory requirements, not optional programs.

Key Provisions

  • Mandatory planning by regional transit authorities:

    • Each RTA must develop a plan to increase access to timely and efficient transportation to medical services.
    • Focus areas include maternal health, mental health, substance use disorder treatment, and other public health services.

  • Inter-regional connectivity:

    • Plans must include interconnections to neighboring RTAs to enable riders to move between regions as necessary.

  • Submission and coordination:

    • The plans (and any related legislative or regulatory recommendations) must be submitted to:
    • Executive Office of Transportation (EOT)
    • Department of Public Health (DPH)
    • Clerks of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate
    • Deadline: no later than 12 months following the passage of the act.

  • Legal framework:

    • A “Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary” clause governs the mandate, ensuring the directive for planning takes precedence over conflicting laws.

Affected Parties

  • Regional transit authorities statewide (the primary implementers of the plans)
  • Executive Office of Transportation
  • Department of Public Health
  • Clerks of the Massachusetts House and Senate
  • Public with medical transportation needs (including maternal, mental health, and substance use services)

Implementation Timeline

  • Trigger: Passage of the act (date not specified in the summary provided, but the bill text indicates a future-acting mandate).
  • Plan development deadline: within 12 months after passage.
  • Subsequent steps: Plans and recommendations to be reviewed by EOT and DPH and publicly filed through clerks.

Potential Impact

  • Aims to reduce transportation barriers to essential health services.
  • Encourages regional coordination and system-wide planning to support healthcare access.
  • May inform future regulatory or funding changes to support medically oriented transit connectivity.

Status Notes

  • The bill is identified as a proposed measure in the Massachusetts General Court. The provided material shows the bill as filed (SENATE DOCKET NO. 2604) with author Bruce E. Tarr, and contains the substantive mandate for RTAs. The user’s status field is unspecified.

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

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