HOUSE  .   .   .   .   .   .   .  No. 5422

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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                            HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, December 12, 2022.                         

The committee on Ways and Means, to whom was referred the Bill to promote public safety and certainty related to child deaths (House, No. 2261), reports recommending that the same ought to pass with an amendment substituting therefor the accompanying bill (House, No. 5422).

For the committee,

AARON MICHLEWITZ.

  FILED ON: 3/17/2022

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 5422

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 to promote public safety and certainty related to child deaths.

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to promote public safety and certainty related to child deaths, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.

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

Chapter 38 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after section 2A the following section:-

Section 2B. In the case of a death of a child under the age of 2, the chief medical examiner shall review and approve: (i) the findings and report of the medical examiner performing the autopsy to determine the cause of death; and (ii) any change to the autopsy report.