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S 1621

Provides an exemption to the prohibition on tinted windows in automobiles for emergency ambulance service vehicles

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Toby Stavisky

Hospitals must provide patients timely, understandable health information within 15 business days and, at reasonable cost, copies or relevant parts of records on written request.

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Bill Summary · S 1621

Summary — S.1621 (2025): “An Act relative to medical records requests”

Purpose / Intent

The bill amends Chapter 118I of the Massachusetts General Laws to strengthen patients’ access to their medical information. It requires health care providers to supply patients (or their authorized representatives) with timely, understandable information about diagnoses, treatment and prognosis and to furnish copies or portions of clinical records within a defined timeframe.

Key provisions

  • Adds two new subsections to Chapter 118I:
    • (x) Upon request, a provider must supply a patient or the patient’s authorized representative, within 15 business days of receiving a written request, with “complete and current information” the provider possesses about any diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis — expressed in terms and language the patient can reasonably be expected to understand.
    • (y) Except as provided in (x), upon a patient’s written request a provider must, at a reasonable cost to the patient, promptly furnish within 15 business days:
    • (1) copies of the patient’s health record, including laboratory reports, x‑rays, prescriptions and other technical information used to assess health conditions; or
    • (2) the pertinent portion of the record relating to a condition specified by the patient.
    • With the patient’s consent the provider may instead furnish only a summary of the record.
    • Providers may exclude written speculations about a patient’s health condition, except that all information necessary for the patient’s informed consent must be provided.

Who is affected

  • Patients and patients’ authorized representatives (who will receive records and explanations).
  • Health care providers covered by Chapter 118I (obligated to respond within 15 business days, prepare explanations, and supply records or summaries).
  • Potential administrative impact on providers (staff time/costs to prepare patient‑friendly explanations; handling record requests).

Procedural status (as reported)

  • Senate docket filed: 1/14/2025 (No. 622).
  • Presented by: Michael F. Rush (petition), Paul McMurtry noted on the filing.
  • Introduced in Senate / read twice: 5/06/2025.
  • Multiple committee referrals and actions are recorded (Transportation; Public Health; Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Health Care Financing). A committee favorable report is listed 11/03/2025 referring the bill to Health Care Financing. A hearing was scheduled for 07/10/2025 (per listed actions).
  • Related or companion measures and prior-session similar bills are identified (e.g., HR 3086, A 113, S 8616, S 3446, etc.).

Potential impact and considerations

  • Likely to increase patient access to understandable medical information and speed up response times.
  • Could increase administrative workload and costs for providers; the bill allows charging a “reasonable cost” for copies.
  • Balances transparency with some protection for providers by allowing exclusion of speculative notes while preserving material needed for informed consent.
  • Implementation questions include definitions (e.g., “reasonable cost,” scope of “complete and current information,” and what qualifies as “written speculations”) — these may require regulatory guidance or subsequent rulemaking.

Notes / Anomalies in the legislative record

  • The legislative materials provided contain inconsistencies: presentation/filing sponsors (Michael F. Rush/Paul McMurtry) differ from a separate “Sponsors” list naming Elizabeth A. Warren and Toby Ann Stavisky; multiple, overlapping committee referrals and duplicate dates are also shown. The summary above follows the bill text (Chapter 118I amendments) and cites procedural entries as reported.

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

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