SENATE DOCKET, NO. 315        FILED ON: 1/13/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1333

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Joanne M. Comerford

_________________

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 prohibiting nonconsensual intimate examinations of anesthetized or unconscious patients.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

 

Joanne M. Comerford

Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester

 

Mindy Domb

3rd Hampshire

1/27/2023

Jason M. Lewis

Fifth Middlesex

1/31/2023

John F. Keenan

Norfolk and Plymouth

2/1/2023

Susannah M. Whipps

2nd Franklin

2/6/2023

James B. Eldridge

Middlesex and Worcester

2/9/2023

Julian Cyr

Cape and Islands

2/22/2023

Rebecca L. Rausch

Norfolk, Worcester and Middlesex

2/23/2023

Patricia D. Jehlen

Second Middlesex

3/2/2023


SENATE DOCKET, NO. 315        FILED ON: 1/13/2023

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1333

By Ms. Comerford, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1333) of Joanne M. Comerford, Mindy Domb, Jason M. Lewis, John F. Keenan and other members of the General Court for legislation to prohibit nonconsensual intimate examinations of anesthetized or unconscious patients.  Public Health.

 

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 1383 OF 2021-2022.]

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

_______________

 

An Act prohibiting nonconsensual intimate examinations of anesthetized or unconscious patients.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Chapter 111 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 70H the following section:-

Section 70I. (a) For the purposes of this section, the following words shall have the following meanings:

"Intimate examination", a pelvic, prostate or rectal examination.

“Health care provider”, a physician, a student in a medical or nursing school participating in a course of instruction, a person participating in a residency program or clinical training program, a physician assistant, an advanced practice registered nurse or other health care provider.

(b) A health care provider may not perform an intimate examination on an anesthetized, deeply sedated or unconscious patient unless the patient has given specific informed consent in writing to the intimate examination; or the performance of an intimate examination is within the scope of care for the planned procedure, surgical procedure or diagnostic examination to be performed on the patient for which the patient has provided general consent; or, in the case of an emergency or urgent care situation on an unconscious patient, the intimate examination is required for diagnostic or treatment purposes.