Bill H.2350

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2974 FILED ON: 1/21/2011

HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2350

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Kate Hogan and Karen E. Spilka

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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 release of a body by the medical examiner to a person charged with an offense which resulted in the death of the deceased.

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PETITION OF:

Name:	District/Address:	Date Added:
Karen E. Spilka		2/4/2011
Kate Hogan	3rd Middlesex	1/24/2011
Martin J. Walsh	13th Suffolk	2/3/2011
James J. Dwyer	30th Middlesex	2/3/2011
Carl M. Sciortino, Jr.	34th Middlesex	2/3/2011
Gloria L. Fox	7th Suffolk	2/3/2011
Elizabeth A. Malia	11th Suffolk	2/3/2011
Nick Collins	4th Suffolk	2/3/2011
Kathi-Anne Reinstein	16th Suffolk	2/3/2011
Cory Atkins	14th Middlesex	1/30/2011
Anne M. Gobi	5th Worcester	2/1/2011
Bradley H. Jones, Jr.	20th Middlesex	2/1/2011
John W. Scibak	2nd Hampshire	2/1/2011
Jason M. Lewis	31st Middlesex	2/2/2011
Jennifer E. Benson	37th Middlesex	2/3/2011
Carolyn C. Dykema	8th Middlesex	1/24/2011
Thomas M. Stanley	9th Middlesex	2/3/2011
Denise Andrews	2nd Franklin	2/4/2011
Ann-Margaret Ferrante	5th Essex	2/4/2011
William N. Brownsberger		2/4/2011
Christine E. Canavan	10th Plymouth	2/4/2011
Kimberly N. Ferguson	1st Worcester	2/4/2011
Alice Hanlon Peisch	14th Norfolk	2/4/2011
Katherine M. Clark	Fifth Middlesex	2/4/2011
Patricia D. Jehlen		2/4/2011
Denise Provost	27th Middlesex	2/4/2011
Gailanne M. Cariddi	1st Berkshire	2/4/2011
James M. Cantwell	4th Plymouth	2/4/2011
Lori A. Ehrlich	8th Essex	2/4/2011
James J. O'Day	14th Worcester	2/4/2011
Alice K. Wolf	25th Middlesex	2/4/2011

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2974 FILED ON: 1/21/2011

HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2350

By Representative Hogan of Stow and Senator Spilka, a joint petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2350) of Karen E. Spilka, Kate Hogan and others relative to the release of a body by the medical examiner to a person charged with an offense which resulted in the death of the deceased. Public Health.

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Eleven

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An Act relative to the release of a body by the medical examiner to a person charged with an offense which resulted in the death of the deceased.

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

SECTION 1. Section 13 of chapter 38 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the first sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:-

"After investigation or examination by the office, the body shall be released to the person with the proper legal authority to receive it, including the surviving spouse, the next of kin if such person is aged 18 years old or older, or any family member or friend of the deceased, who shall have priority in the order named herein; provided, however, that any named person charged with or convicted of an offense which resulted in the death of the deceased, such person shall be skipped in the order of priority; provided further that such person shall be disqualified from acting as executor of the estate of the deceased."