HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3980        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Marjorie C. Decker and Hannah Kane

_________________

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 autopsy reports by the medical examiner.

_______________

PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3980        FILED ON: 1/17/2025

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No.         

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)

_______________

An Act relative to autopsy reports by the medical examiner.

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. (a) Section 4 of chapter 38 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-

If the medical examiner takes jurisdiction pursuant to this section, the medical examiner shall conduct an autopsy on the body of such deceased person and provide an autopsy report to anyone legally entitled to receive it within 90 days of the date that the medical examiner took jurisdiction, except if the medical examiner provides a notice of delay to anyone legally entitled to receive the autopsy report with the date the autopsy report will be complete and the reason for the delay.

(b) Not later than December 31 of each even-numbered year, the medical examiner shall submit to the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, and the joint committee on public health, a report, including, but not limited to: 

(i) the number of autopsies completed within 90 days of the date that the medical examiner took jurisdiction;

(ii) the number of autopsies that were not completed within 90 days of the date that the medical examiner took jurisdiction; and

(iii) the reasoning behind why the autopsies were not completed within said 90 days of the date that the medical examiner took jurisdiction.