An Act to provide more timely treatment of inpatient mental health care

This bill aims to speed up the process for receiving inpatient mental health treatment and related legal reviews in Massachusetts. It requires hospitals to establish evening and night staffing consistent with national standards and mandates that independent medical examinations for indigent patients be requested within 24 hours and completed within three business days. Additionally, the bill shortens the maximum time a patient can be held without a hearing from fourteen days to five days and sets a seven-day deadline for hearings regarding involuntary commitment petitions. The legislation also directs the Department of Children and Families to create a specific timeline for administering antipsychotic medication to children in state custody who are hospitalized in psychiatric facilities.