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.
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