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H2392 • 2025

An Act relative to autopsy reports by the medical examiner

An Act relative to autopsy reports by the medical examiner

Healthcare
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Decker, Marjorie C.
Last action
2025-10-09
Official status
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act relative to autopsy reports by the medical examiner

An Act relative to autopsy reports by the medical examiner By Representatives Decker of Cambridge and Kane of Shrewsbury, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to autopsy reports by the medical examiner By Representatives Decker of Cambridge and Kane of Shrewsbury, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 2392) of Marjorie C.
  • Decker, Hannah Kane and Bradley H.
  • Jones, Jr.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-09 House

    Bill reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Ways and Means

  2. 2025-06-30 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 07/10/2025 from 09:00 AM-01:00 PM in A-1

  3. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Public Health

  4. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to autopsy reports by the medical examiner
By Representatives Decker of Cambridge and Kane of Shrewsbury, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2392) of Marjorie C. Decker, Hannah Kane and Bradley H. Jones, Jr. relative to autopsy reports by the medical examiner. Public Health.
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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Bill H.2392

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.

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