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May 21, 2024 Clouds | 84°F
The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  1. General Laws
  2. Part I ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT
  3. Title VII CITIES, TOWNS AND DISTRICTS
  4. Chapter 41 OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES OF CITIES, TOWNS AND DISTRICTS
  5. Section 97B1/2 Notification to local law enforcement by medical facilities when evidence of sexual assault obtained; submission of evidence kit to crime laboratory; entering of evidence into DNA database and statewide sexual assault evidence kit tracking system

Section 97B1/2

Section 97B1/2: Notification to local law enforcement by medical facilities when evidence of sexual assault obtained; submission of evidence kit to crime laboratory; entering of evidence into DNA database and statewide sexual assault evidence kit tracking system

Section 97B1/2. (a) A hospital licensed pursuant to chapter 111 and all other medical facilities that conduct medical forensic examinations shall notify a local law enforcement agency at the time the evidence of a sexual assault is obtained and no later than 24 hours after using a new kit for the collection of sexual assault evidence.

(b) Local law enforcement agencies shall:

(1) Take possession of the sexual assault evidence kit from hospitals and other medical facilities that conduct medical forensic examinations within 3 business days of notification.

(2) Submit new sexual assault evidence kits to the crime laboratory within the department of the state police or the police department of a municipality that operates a crime laboratory and has a population of more than 150,000, in the case of a sexual assault alleged to have taken place in that municipality, within 7 business days of taking possession, except that non-investigatory sexual assault evidence kits associated with a victim who has not yet filed a report with law enforcement shall not be subject to the 7 day requirement. Non-investigatory kits shall be safely stored by law enforcement in a manner that preserves evidence for the duration of the statute of limitations for all sexual assault and rape cases.

(b) The crime laboratory within the department of the state police or the police department of a municipality that operates a crime laboraty and has a population of more than 150,000, in the case of a sexual assault alleged to have taken place in that municipality, shall test all sexual assault evidence kits within 30 days of receipt from local law enforcement.

(c) In cases where testing results in a DNA profile, the crime laboratory shall enter the full profile into CODIS and the state DNA database.

(d) Each sexual assault evidence kit shall be entered into the statewide sexual assault evidence kit tracking system pursuant to section 18X of chapter 6A.