SENATE DOCKET, NO. 745        FILED ON: 1/16/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1253

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Diana DiZoglio

_________________

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 the Chief Medical Examiner to provide certain information in substance use-related deaths.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Diana DiZoglio

First Essex

 

Patrick M. O'Connor

Plymouth and Norfolk

1/29/2019

Joseph D. McKenna

18th Worcester

12/17/2019


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 745        FILED ON: 1/16/2019

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1253

By Ms. DiZoglio, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1253) of Diana DiZoglio and Patrick M. O'Connor for legislation to require the Chief Medical Examiner to provide certain information in substance abuse-related deaths.  Public Health.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3516 OF 2017-2018.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

_______________

 

An Act requiring the Chief Medical Examiner to provide certain information in substance use-related deaths.

 

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 38 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 3 (18):

SECTION 3 (19) Any death whether attended or unattended, where the individual has a history of substance use disorder.

And after section 4A the following section:-

Section 4B. If after making inquiry pursuant to section 4, the medical examiner is of the opinion that death may have resulted from acute or chronic use or misuse of a controlled substance or a derivative thereof, the medical examiner shall conduct an autopsy on the body of such deceased person within 3 months of the date of death. Whether or not an autopsy occurs, a toxicology screen shall be conducted in a timely fashion. Within 30 days after completion of such toxicology screen, the office of the chief medical examiner shall provide the results of that screen to anyone legally entitled to receive it.