SENATE DOCKET, NO. 511 FILED ON: 2/1/2021
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1450
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
John F. Keenan
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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 relative to notification of front-line health care workers to exposure of Coronavirus.
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PETITION OF:
Name: | District/Address: |
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John F. Keenan | Norfolk and Plymouth |
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Jack Patrick Lewis | 7th Middlesex | 2/26/2021 |
Carol A. Doherty | 3rd Bristol | 2/26/2021 |
Michael D. Brady | Second Plymouth and Bristol | 2/26/2021 |
Walter F. Timilty | Norfolk, Bristol and Plymouth | 3/10/2021 |
Sal N. DiDomenico | Middlesex and Suffolk | 4/1/2021 |
Paul R. Feeney | Bristol and Norfolk | 4/13/2021 |
Joanne M. Comerford | Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester | 4/21/2021 |
Erika Uyterhoeven | 27th Middlesex | 4/30/2021 |
Marc R. Pacheco | First Plymouth and Bristol | 5/10/2021 |
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 511 FILED ON: 2/1/2021
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1450
By Mr. Keenan, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1450) of John F. Keenan, Jack Patrick Lewis, Carol A. Doherty, Michael D. Brady and other members of the General Court for legislation relative to notification of front-line health care workers to exposure of Coronavirus. Public Health. |
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 relative to notification of front-line health care workers to exposure of Coronavirus.
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 111 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding after Section 111C the following new section:-
Section 111D. For the purposes of this section, the following words shall have the following meaning:
''Health care worker'', any doctor of medicine, osteopathy, or dental science, or a registered nurse, social worker, doctor of chiropractic, or psychologist licensed under the provisions of chapter one hundred and twelve, or an intern, or a resident, fellow, or medical officer licensed under section nine of said chapter one hundred and twelve, or employees of a hospital, clinic or nursing home licensed under the provisions of chapter one hundred and eleven, a public hospital and its agents and employees, or a federally qualified health center and its agents and employees.
Any health care worker who, while acting in his or her professional capacity, has been exposed to a patient, colleague, or any other individual who has tested positive for the novel Coronavirus Disease (Covid-19), shall be notified of said exposure orally within twenty-four hours of exposure or confirmation of the individual’s status as being capable of transmitting the disease and in writing within forty-eight hours.
It shall be the responsibility of the healthcare worker’s employer to notify the healthcare worker of the exposure in writing.
Whoever violates any provision of this statute, shall be subject to a fine of not less than $1,000 for each violation.
Notwithstanding the provisions of any general law or special law to the contrary, nothing in this section shall constitute a violation of an individual’s right to privacy regarding his or her medical condition.