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H2464 • 2025

An Act relative to abandoned remains

An Act relative to abandoned remains

Active

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

Sponsor
Sally P. Kerans
Last action
2025-12-22
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 abandoned remains

An Act relative to abandoned remains By Representative Kerans of Danvers, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act relative to abandoned remains By Representative Kerans of Danvers, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 2464) of Sally P.
  • Kerans relative to abandoned remains or dead bodies.
  • Public Health.

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. 2025-12-22 House

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

  2. 2025-09-29 Joint

    Hearing rescheduled to 09/29/2025 from 09:00 AM-11:30 PM in A-2 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time

  3. 2025-09-29 Joint

    Hearing rescheduled to 09/29/2025 from 09:00 AM-11:30 AM in A-2 and Virtual Hearing updated to New End Time

  4. 2025-09-19 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 09/29/2025 from 09:00 AM-01:00 PM in A-2

  5. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on Public Health

  6. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

Official Summary Text

An Act relative to abandoned remains
By Representative Kerans of Danvers, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2464) of Sally P. Kerans relative to abandoned remains or dead bodies. Public Health.
Status:
Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means

Current Bill Text

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Bill H.2464

SECTION 1. Section 1 of Chapter 38 of the Massachusetts General Laws shall be amended by adding the following definition:

“Abandoned Remains”- The remains or a dead body that no one has taken legal authority of the body for a period of 15 days.

SECTION 2. Chapter 38 of the Massachusetts General Laws shall be amended by inserting after Section 16, the following new Section:

Section 17. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the office of the chief medical officer shall accept for temporary storage abandoned remains, as defined in this chapter, of persons who have died of natural causes in facilities licensed by the department of public health under MGL Chapter 111 Section 71 or under MGL Chapter 111 Section 51 or other facilities upon written request of the appropriate facility administrator, in the case of abandonment, no designated next of kin, or written plan of disposition. The office may subsequently release the body to the department of transitional assistance as allowed by Section 13 of this Chapter.

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