SENATE DOCKET, NO. 58        FILED ON: 1/11/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1416

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Diana DiZoglio

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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.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 58        FILED ON: 1/11/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1416

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1253 OF 2019-2020.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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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.