SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1275        FILED ON: 1/20/2011

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1167

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

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:

Karen E. Spilka

 

Kate Hogan

3rd Middlesex

Tom Sannicandro

7th Middlesex

Jason M. Lewis

31st Middlesex

Chris Walsh

6th Middlesex

Ann-Margaret Ferrante

5th Essex

Carolyn C. Dykema

8th Middlesex

John W. Scibak

2nd Hampshire

Cory Atkins

14th Middlesex


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1275        FILED ON: 1/20/2011

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1167

By Ms. Spilka, petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1167) of Sannicandro, Atkins, Scibak and other members of the General Court for legislation 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.  [Joint Committee on 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."