1 of 1
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3980 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2392
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Marjorie C. Decker and Hannah Kane
_________________
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 relative to autopsy reports by the medical examiner.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Marjorie C. Decker25th Middlesex1/17/2025Hannah Kane11th Worcester1/23/2025Bradley H. Jones, Jr.20th Middlesex1/30/2025 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 3980 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2392
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.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
An Act relative to autopsy reports by the medical examiner.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. (a) Section 4 of chapter 38 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2022
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-
3 If the medical examiner takes jurisdiction pursuant to this section, the medical examiner
4shall conduct an autopsy on the body of such deceased person and provide an autopsy report to
5anyone legally entitled to receive it within 90 days of the date that the medical examiner took
6jurisdiction, except if the medical examiner provides a notice of delay to anyone legally entitled
7to receive the autopsy report with the date the autopsy report will be complete and the reason for
8the delay.
9 (b) Not later than December 31 of each even-numbered year, the medical examiner shall
10submit to the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, and the joint committee on
11public health, a report, including, but not limited to: 2 of 2
12 (i) the number of autopsies completed within 90 days of the date that the medical
13examiner took jurisdiction;
14 (ii) the number of autopsies that were not completed within 90 days of the date that the
15medical examiner took jurisdiction; and
16 (iii) the reasoning behind why the autopsies were not completed within said 90 days of
17the date that the medical examiner took jurisdiction.