Section 70E of Chapter 111 of the General Laws, 2016 official edition, is hereby amended in subsection (l), by adding, after the phrase, “ to informed consent to the extent provided by law;” the following language:

“provided that no physician or surgeon, nor any student undertaking a course of professional instruction or a clinical training program, may perform a pelvic examination on an anesthetized or unconscious  patient unless the patient has given specific informed consent in writing to the pelvic examination; or the performance of a pelvic examination is within the scope of care for the surgical procedure or diagnostic examination to be performed on the patient or, in the case of an unconscious patient, the pelvic examination is required for diagnostic purposes.”