June 16, 2026
Tuesday, June 16, 2026, 10:00 a.m.
Room 428, State House, Boston, MA
Rep. Barber and Sen. Creem join the Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, Disability Law Center and National Alliance on Mental Illness of Massachusetts in explaining and advocating for legislation (H 3291, S 1386) that would transfer Bridgewater State hospital oversight from the Department of Correction to the Department of Mental Health. The Senate version of the fiscal 2027 budget would require the state to come up with an "implementation plan" outlining what's necessary from a transfer by June 30, 2027, but that budget rider's fate hinges on the outcome of House-Senate talks. A February 2026 Disability Law Center report recommended that the state "immediately" place the facility under DMH authority and "urgently" construct a modern DMH hospital facility for patients.
