HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1552        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 870

 

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

1/19/2017

James J. Dwyer

30th Middlesex

2/1/2017

Brian M. Ashe

2nd Hampden

2/2/2017

Kathleen O'Connor Ives

First Essex

 

Barbara A. L'Italien

Second Essex and Middlesex

 

Linda Dean Campbell

15th Essex

 


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1552        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 870

By Mr. Kafka of Stoughton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 870) 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. 1425 OF 2015-2016.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

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

_______________

 

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:
 

Section 1: Chapter 263 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition is hereby amended by adding after section 1A the following new sections:

Section 1B. Blood Testing

Anyone under arrest shall be subject to a blood test, provided that one or more public safety personnel including but not limited to police officers, fire fighters or emergency medical technicians (EMT) were or are suspected to have been exposed to potential blood-borne pathogens.  Exposure incidents include, but are not limited to, being stuck by a hypodermic syringe, being stuck by hypodermic needle, or being bitten. 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 safety personnel who receives the result of the test, and the Department of Public Health shall maintain a record of the test results to provide care to anyone infected.

Section 2: Chapter 270 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition is hereby amended by adding after section 26 the following new sections:

Section 27. Hypodermic Syringes/Needles

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.