HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2773        FILED ON: 1/21/2011

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2224

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Louis L. Kafka and James E. Timilty

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to the health of public safety officers.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Louis L. Kafka

8th Norfolk

1/21/2011

James E. Timilty

 

1/25/2011


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2773        FILED ON: 1/21/2011

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2224

By Mr. Kafka of Stoughton and Senator Timilty, a joint petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2224) of Louis L. Kafka and James E. Timilty relative to the health of public safety officers exposed to hypodermic syringes or hypodermic needles.  The Judiciary.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1463 OF 2009-2010.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

_______________

 

An Act relative to the health of public safety officers.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Chapter 172 of the Acts of 2006 is hereby amended by adding after section 17 the following new section:

Section 18. The protective cap issued with all hypodermic syringes or hypodermic needles must be in place at all times before and after use.  Whoever violates any provision of this paragraph shall be punished by imprisonment in jail or house of correction for not less than one nor more than two years, or by a fine of not less than five hundred nor more than five thousand dollars, or both.

Anyone under arrest shall be subject to a blood test, provided that, the arresting police officer(s) was/were stuck by a hypodermic syringe or hypodermic needle that was unlawfully uncapped. The arrested individual shall be tested immediately after arrest, and three months later, if the first test proved negative. The name of the tested person shall be subject to a confidentiality agreement with the police officer who receives the result of the test, and the Department of Public Health shall maintain record of the test results to provide care to anyone infected.