Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 113A, sec. 22 — MA Code / Part I / Title XVI / Chapter 113A / Section 22
Facilitation of anatomical gift from decedent whose body is under jurisdiction of medical examiner
Status: in_force

Section 22. (a) The chief medical examiner shall release to the procurement organization such information as may be necessary to facilitate organ and tissue donation including, but not limited to, the name, contact information and available medical and social history of a decedent whose death has been reported pursuant to chapter 38. If the decedent's body or part is medically suitable for transplantation or therapy, the medical examiner shall release the autopsy reports to the procurement organization; provided, however, that in the case of a suspicious death where the district attorney is controlling the investigation pursuant to said chapter 38, the chief medical examiner or his designee shall not release an autopsy report unless informed by the district attorney that the autopsy report may be released. The procurement organization may make a subsequent disclosure of the postmortem examination results or other information received from the medical examiner only as necessary to facilitate transplantation or therapy. (b) The medical examiner may conduct a medicolegal examination by reviewing all medical records, laboratory test results, xrays, other diagnostic results and other information that any person may possess about a donor or prospective donor whose death has been reported pursuant to chapter 38 which the medical examiner determines may be relevant to the investigation. (c) A person that has any information requested by a medical examiner pursuant to subsection (b) shall provide that information as expeditiously as possible to allow the medical examiner to conduct the medicolegal investigation within a period compatible with the preservation of parts for transplantation, therapy, research or education.

Section 22. (a) The chief medical examiner shall release to the procurement organization such information as may be necessary to facilitate organ and tissue donation including, but not limited to, the name, contact information and available medical and social history of a decedent whose death has been reported pursuant to chapter 38. If the decedent's body or part is medically suitable for transplantation or therapy, the medical examiner shall release the autopsy reports to the procurement organization; provided, however, that in the case of a suspicious death where the district attorney is controlling the investigation pursuant to said chapter 38, the chief medical examiner or his designee shall not release an autopsy report unless informed by the district attorney that the autopsy report may be released. The procurement organization may make a subsequent disclosure of the postmortem examination results or other information received from the medical examiner only as necessary to facilitate transplantation or therapy.

(b) The medical examiner may conduct a medicolegal examination by reviewing all medical records, laboratory test results, xrays, other diagnostic results and other information that any person may possess about a donor or prospective donor whose death has been reported pursuant to chapter 38 which the medical examiner determines may be relevant to the investigation.

(c) A person that has any information requested by a medical examiner pursuant to subsection (b) shall provide that information as expeditiously as possible to allow the medical examiner to conduct the medicolegal investigation within a period compatible with the preservation of parts for transplantation, therapy, research or education.