{"data":{"id":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-111-4m","jurisdiction":"us-ma","citation":"Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 111, § 4M","heading":"Hepatitis B and hepatitis C; needs assessment; prevention, education, outreach and surveillance programs; annual report","body":"Section 4M. Subject to appropriation, the department shall:\n(1) conduct a needs assessment to determine the incidence and prevalence of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus in the commonwealth;\n(2) develop and implement a program to prevent further transmission of viral hepatitis and to prevent onset of chronic liver disease caused by viral hepatitis;\n(3) develop and implement a statewide public education and community outreach program to raise awareness and promote prevention of viral hepatitis;\n(4) develop or approve evidence-based educational materials on the risks, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of viral hepatitis; provided that, the materials shall be made available in written and electronic form and shall be targeted to physicians and other health care providers and high-risk populations subject to an increased risk of contracting viral hepatitis as determined by the department;\n(5) support the establishment and maintenance of a chronic and acute hepatitis B and hepatitis C surveillance program in order to identify (i) trends in the incidence of acute and chronic hepatitis B and acute and chronic hepatitis C, (ii) trends in the prevalence of acute and chronic hepatitis B and acute and chronic hepatitis C infection among groups that may be disproportionately affected and (iii) trends in liver cancer and end-stage liver disease incidence and deaths caused by chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C in high-risk populations; and\n(6) annually report on the department's viral hepatitis education, awareness and prevention education and community outreach efforts to the joint committee on public health on or before January 1.","path":["Part I","Title XVI","Chapter 111"],"source_url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXVI/Chapter111/Section4M","current_through":"amendments passed before May 31, 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-17T05:22:38Z","sha256":"4c88cf9bba3c9e05e493e5a67953294fb42ce7beca2f2acdb8ea5aadc0472106","source_id":"us-ma","stale":false,"prev":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-111-4l","next":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-111-4n"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}