HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 258        FILED ON: 1/9/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1413

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Louis L. Kafka

_________________

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

 

James E. Timilty

Bristol and Norfolk

1/30/2013

Stephen L. DiNatale

3rd Worcester

 

James J. Dwyer

30th Middlesex

 

Colleen M. Garry

36th Middlesex

 

John V. Fernandes

10th Worcester

 

Thomas J. Calter

12th Plymouth

 

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 258        FILED ON: 1/9/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1413

By Mr. Kafka of Stoughton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1413) of Louis L. Kafka and others 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. 2224 OF 2011-2012.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

_______________

 

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.