Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official source posted by the Massachusetts General Court, fetched 2026-07-15. Nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
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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