Massachusetts § 237 - Analysis of population health trends; opiate overdoses

§ 237. Analysis of population health trends; opiate overdoses

Section 237. The commissioner shall collect, record and analyze data, and shall assemble and maintain data systems, necessary to analyze population health trends. The commissioner shall give priority to analyzing fatal and nonfatal opiate overdoses. The commissioner may identify and determine additional priorities for the reduction of morbidity and mortality.

Notwithstanding section 74 of chapter 6, sections 16 to 16Y, inclusive, of chapter 6A, chapter 12C, chapter 19A, chapter 46, chapter 94C, chapters 111 to 111O, inclusive, chapter 112, chapter 118E, chapter 119, chapter 120, chapter 123, and chapter 123B, the center for health information analysis and any office or agency within the executive branch shall provide, upon request from the commissioner, information necessary to conduct the analysis required by this section if the provision of such information is otherwise consistent with federal and state law. The commissioner may request from any office or agency within the judicial branch, and any such office or agency may provide, information necessary to conduct this analysis required by this section if the provision of such information is otherwise consistent with federal and state law.

The commissioner shall develop policies and procedures for the governance of such data and data systems, which shall include provisions for confidentiality and security. Information or data provided or accessed under this section shall be confidential, shall not be used to identify any individual and shall be used solely for the conduct of analysis pursuant to this section. Such information or data shall not be considered a public record, shall be exempt from disclosure under section 10 of chapter 66 and shall not be subject to subpoena or discovery or admissible as evidence in any action of any kind in any court or before any other tribunal, board, agency or person. All resulting reports shall provide data in an aggregate and de-identified format.

The commissioner shall, not less than biennially, prepare and submit a report on priority public health trends. The report shall be publicly available and shall be filed with clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on mental health, substance use and recovery, the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on public health and the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on health care financing.

The commissioner may promulgate regulations to implement this section.