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H 2512

An Act relative to truth in advertising

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

The bill requires health care ads and in-office postings to clearly identify practitioners’ license type to prevent deceptive advertising.

Hearing rescheduled to 07/14/2025 from 10:00 AM-02:00 PM in A-1 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time
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Bill Summary · H 2512

Summary: H.2512 An Act relative to truth in advertising

Overview

H.2512, introduced by Representative Bridget Plouffe on February 27, 2025, seeks to ensure truthfulness in advertising by health care practitioners in Massachusetts. The bill adds new provisions to Chapter 112 to require clear licensure identification in advertisements and in-office disclosures, with violations treated as Chapter 93A consumer protection violations. A public hearing has been scheduled by the Public Health Committee, with the hearing rescheduled to July 14, 2025.

Purpose and intent

  • Improve transparency about licensure and qualifications in health care advertising.
  • Prevent deceptive or misleading representations regarding a practitioner’s professional status, training, certification, or licensure.
  • Ensure patients can verify the licensing type of practitioners across practice settings.

Key provisions

  • Definitions

    • “Advertisement”: broad, includes any printed, electronic, or oral communication naming a health care practitioner in relation to practice.
    • “Deceptive” or “misleading”: includes mis-stating or falsely describing the practitioner’s profession, skills, training, education, or licensure.
    • “Health care practitioner”: any person engaging in acts within licensure/regulation.
    • “Licensee”: a practitioner with an active license.

  • Advertising content (a)

    • Advertisements naming a practitioner must identify the type of license held.
    • Ads must be free from deceptive or misleading information.

  • In-office licensure posting (b)

    • Practitioners must conspicuously post and affirmatively communicate licensure type.
    • Requirements include: 1) A photo identification name tag worn during all patient encounters containing: a recent photo, practitioner’s name, license type, and license expiration date; tag must be clearly visible. 2) An office display identifying the practitioner’s license type, in a size visible to current and prospective patients.

  • Multi-site compliance (c)

    • If a practitioner works in more than one office, requirements apply at each site.

  • Supervisory/collaborative practice (d)

    • Doctors supervising or participating in collaborative practice with non-medical practitioners must conspicuously post each office’s regular hours of presence.

  • Non-patient care settings (e)

    • Practitioners in non-patient care roles are exempt from these provisions.

  • Enforcement (f)

    • Violations constitute a breach of this act and are subject to Chapter 93A.

Who is affected

  • Health care practitioners (doctors, physicians, physicians assistants, etc.) who name themselves in advertisements.
  • Medical offices and practices, including multi-location practices.
  • Supervising physicians in collaborative practice arrangements.
  • Entities with non-patient care roles by health care practitioners (exempt from these provisions).

Procedural/timeline notes

  • Referred to the Committee on Public Health on February 27, 2025.
  • Senate concurrence noted on the same date in the legislative actions.
  • Hearing: originally scheduled, rescheduled to July 14, 2025, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM in A-1; virtual hearing end time updated.

Related information

  • Related bill history includes similar prior-filed matters (e.g., House 2145 in 2023-2024) and the listed HD 3890 as the current docket/replace version.

Potential impact

  • Increased transparency for patients regarding licensure and qualifications.
  • Administrative requirements for ads and in-office postings may impose compliance costs and recordkeeping.
  • Stronger grounds for consumers to challenge misleading advertising under Massachusetts consumer protection laws.

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

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