HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3237        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3246

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Kevin J. Kuros

_________________

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 requiring timely reporting of autopsy results.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Kevin J. Kuros

8th Worcester

1/20/2017

David F. DeCoste

5th Plymouth

 

Peter J. Durant

6th Worcester

 

Geoff Diehl

7th Plymouth

 

Joseph D. McKenna

18th Worcester

 

Steven S. Howitt

4th Bristol

 

Paul R. Heroux

2nd Bristol

 

Paul K. Frost

7th Worcester

 

Kate D. Campanale

17th Worcester

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3237        FILED ON: 1/20/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3246

By Mr. Kuros of Uxbridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3246) of Kevin J. Kuros and others that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner provide  copies of autopsy reports within 60 days of the completion of investigations into the circumstances surrounding deaths.  Public Health.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

_______________

 

An Act requiring timely reporting of autopsy results.

 

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

SECTON 1. Chapter 38 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 16 the following new section:-

Section 17. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law to the contrary, the office of the chief medical examiner shall provide a copy of the autopsy report of a decedent whose determined cause of death is suicide to the decedent's surviving spouse, person in the first degree of consanguinity or, in the event there is no surviving spouse or person in the first degree of consanguinity, to the person entitled to receive the body for the purposes, within 60 days of the completion of the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death for the purposes of the decedent’s surviving spouse or person in the first degree of consanguinity to furnish a final death certificate for the settlement of insurance claims and other financial issues.