Massachusetts General Laws
Title XVII - Public Welfare
Chapter 123 - Mental Health

Section 1 - Definitions - Section 1. The following words as used in this section...

Section 2 - Regulations - Section 2. The department shall, in accordance with section two...

Section 3 - Transfers; Notice; Emergencies - Section 3. The department may transfer any person from any...

Section 4 - Periodic Review; Notice - [See Order of the Commissioner of Public Health, dated April...

Section 5 - Commitment or Retention Hearings; Right to Counsel; Medical Examination; Notice - Section 5. Whenever the provisions of this chapter require that...

Section 6 - Retention of Persons; Validity of Orders; Hearing - Section 6. (a) No person shall be retained at a...

Section 7 - Commitment and Retention of Dangerous Persons; Petition; Notice; Hearing - Section 7. (a) The superintendent of a facility may petition...

Section 8 - Proceedings to Commit Dangerous Persons; Notice; Hearing; Orders; Jurisdiction - Section 8. (a) After a hearing, unless such hearing is...

Section 8b - Treatment of Committed Persons With Antipsychotic Medication; Petition; Notice; Hearing; Guardian - Section 8B. (a) With respect to any patient who is...

Section 9 - Review of Matters of Law; Application for Discharge; Notice; Hearing - Section 9. (a) Matters of law arising in commitment hearings,...

Section 10 - Voluntary Admissions; Consultation With Attorney; Discharge; Outpatients; Veterans - Section 10. (a) Pursuant to departmental regulations on admission procedures,...

Section 11 - Voluntary Admissions; Withdrawal; Notice; Examination; Retention - [See Order of the Commissioner of Public Health, dated April...

Section 12 - Emergency Restraint and Hospitalization of Persons Posing Risk of Serious Harm by Reason of Mental Illness - [See Order of the Commissioner of Public Health, dated April...

Section 13 - Transfer of Dangerous Males to Bridgewater State Hospital; Retention Period; Further Commitment; Procedure - Section 13. If the superintendent of any facility determines that...

Section 14 - Transfers From Bridgewater State Hospital to Other Facilities - Section 14. Whenever the medical director of the Bridgewater state...

Section 15 - Competence to Stand Trial or Criminal Responsibility; Examination; Period of Observation; Reports; Hearing; Commitment; Delinquents - Section 15. (a) Whenever a court of competent jurisdiction doubts...

Section 16 - Hospitalization of Persons Incompetent to Stand Trial or Not Guilty by Reason of Mental Illness; Examination Period; Commitment; Hearing; Restrictions; Dismissal of Criminal Charges - Section 16. (a) The court having jurisdiction over the criminal...

Section 17 - Periodic Review of Incompetence to Stand Trial; Petition; Hearing; Continued Treatment; Defense to Charges; Release - Section 17. (a) The periodic review of a person found...

Section 18 - Hospitalization of Mentally Ill Prisoners; Examination; Reports; Hearing; Commitment; Voluntary Admission; Reduction of Sentence; Discharge - Section 18. (a) If the person in charge of any...

Section 18a - Facility Residents; Contribution Towards Cost of Counsel - Section 18A. A person who is a resident in a...

Section 19 - Parties or Witnesses; Determination of Mental Condition - Section 19. In order to determine the mental condition of...

Section 20 - Extradition of Mental Institution Escapees - Section 20. (a) The governor may upon demand deliver to...

Section 21 - Transportation of Mentally Ill Persons; Restraint - [See Order of the Commissioner of Public Health, dated April...

Section 22 - Civil Liability of Physicians, Qualified Advanced Practice Registered Nurses, Qualified Psychologists, Qualified Psychiatric Nurse Mental Health Clinic Specialists, Police Officers and Licensed Independent Clinical Social Workers - [See Order of the Commissioner of Public Health, dated April...

Section 23 - Rights of Persons Receiving Services From Programs or Facilities of Department of Mental Health - Section 23. This section sets forth the statutory rights of...

Section 23a - Competent Interpreter Services in Hospitals Which Provide Acute Psychiatric Services - Section 23A. (a) For purposes of this section the following...

Section 24 - Legal Capacity of Persons Admitted or Committed - Section 24. No person shall be deemed to be incompetent...

Section 25 - Guardian or Conservator; Appointment - Section 25. In addition to the periodic review under section...

Section 26 - Deposit of Funds Held in Trust for Inpatients or Residents; Unclaimed Funds and Personal Property; Fiduciaries - Section 26. (a) The superintendent may deposit in any bank...

Section 27 - Administration of Estate of Deceased Inpatient or Resident - Section 27. If an inpatient or resident of any facility...

Section 28 - Violent or Unnatural Death of Patients; Notice to District Attorney - Section 28. Upon the death of any person confined to...

Section 29 - Instruction and Education; Work Programs; Sale of Work Products - Section 29. (a) In cooperation with other state departments and...

Section 30 - Unauthorized Absence of Patients; Notification of Police, Et al.; Return - Section 30. If a patient or resident in a facility...

Section 31 - Medicine and Drugs; Indigent Patients - Section 31. Medicine and drugs shall be furnished free of...

Section 32 - Charges for Care of Persons in Facilities - Section 32. The department may make charges for the care...

Section 33 - Expenses of Apprehension, Examination, Hearing, Commitment or Delivery; Certification; Audit; Payment; Fees - Section 33. All necessary expenses attending the apprehension, examination, hearing,...

Section 34 - Commitment or Transfer to Veterans Administration or Other Federal Agency - Section 34. (a) The judgment or order of commitment by...

Section 35 - Commitment of Alcoholics or Substance Abusers - Section 35. For the purposes of this section the following...

Section 36 - Patient Records; Inspection; Maintenance and Retention - Section 36. The department shall keep records of the admission,...

Section 36a - Court Records of Examination or Commitment; Privacy - Section 36A. All reports of examinations made to a court...

Section 36b - Duty to Warn Patient's Potential Victims; Cause of Action - Section 36B. (1) There shall be no duty owed by...

Section 36c - Transmission of Committed Person's Name and Nonclinical, Identifying Information to Department of Criminal Justice Information Services; Prohibition of Committed Person From Being Issued Firearm Identification Card or License to Carry;... - Section 36C. (a) A court that orders the commitment of...