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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 490 FILED ON: 1/13/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3624
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Marjorie C. Decker
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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 to promote public safety and certainty related to child deaths.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Marjorie C. Decker25th Middlesex1/10/2023Joanne M. ComerfordHampshire, Franklin and Worcester1/31/2023 1 of 1
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 490 FILED ON: 1/13/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3624
By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3624) of
Marjorie C. Decker and Joanne M. Comerford relative to findings and reports of medical
examiners performing autopsies on children under the age of two. Public Health.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2261 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act to promote public safety and certainty related to child deaths.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Chapter 38 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020 Official Edition, is hereby
2amended by inserting after section 2A the following section:-
3 Section 2B. In the case of a death of a child under the age of 2, the chief medical
4examiner shall review and approve: (i) the findings and report of the medical examiner
5performing the autopsy to determine the cause of death; and (ii) any change to the autopsy
6report.