Section 127 Mental Health Emergency Response Commission
(a) There shall be a special commission established pursuant to section 2A of chapter 4 of the General Laws to review and develop recommendations and best practices for local and regional public safety response to mental health emergencies in the commonwealth. Mental health emergencies shall include, but not be limited to, situations where an individual is: (i) imminently threatening harm to themselves or others in a life-threatening manner; (ii) severely disoriented; (iii) experiencing a severe inability to function; or (iv) otherwise distraught and out of control.
(b) The commission shall consist of the following 17 members: the chairs of the joint committee on mental health, substance use and recovery, who shall serve as co-chairs; the secretary of public safety and security, or a designee; the commissioner of mental health, or a designee; 1 person to be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; 1 person to be appointed by the senate president; 1 person to be appointed by the minority leader of the house of representatives; 1 person to be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; 5 persons to be appointed by the co-chairs, each of whom shall be a police officer from diverse geographic locations and communities throughout the commonwealth; and 1 representative from each of the following organizations: the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Massachusetts, Inc., the Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, Inc., the Association for Behavioral Healthcare Inc., and the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, Inc.
(c) The commission shall examine ways to effectively, safely and efficiently respond to mental health emergencies in the commonwealth. The commission shall review: (i) the current local and regional public safety response to mental health emergencies in the commonwealth; (ii) practices in other states for responding to mental health emergencies by public safety officials; (iii) training programs, including, but not limited to, training for police officers pursuant to section 116G of chapter 6 of the General Laws and trainings for other individuals necessary to respond to mental health emergencies, including, but not limited to, emergency medical technicians, social workers or other clinical mental health professionals; (iv) specific responses and best practices for individuals of all ages experiencing mental health emergencies; (v) effective de-escalation techniques; (vi) whether trained personnel, including, but not limited to, social workers or other clinical mental health professionals, should respond in such emergencies or accompany police officers in responding to such emergencies; and (vii) whether the response should be by trained personnel in plain clothes.
(d) The commission shall recommend best practices for local and regional public safety response to mental health emergencies, including, but not limited to, trainings, manner of de-escalation, safety practices, personnel responding, including response in plain clothes or uniform, and type of response. Not later than September 1, 2022, the commission shall submit a report of its review and recommendations, if any, together with drafts of legislation necessary to carry those recommendations into effect by filing the same with the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the joint committee on public safety and homeland security and the joint committee on mental health, substance use and recovery.