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SD 3037

Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Cremation Fee Increase Report

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

OCME seeks a regulatory fee hike for cremation/burial-at-sea views, raising about $8.6 million annually to fund medicolegal investigations; public hearing Aug 5, 2025; effective late Aug 2025.

Placed on file
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SD 3037

Summary of Bill SD 3037: Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Cremation Fee Increase Report

Basic Info

  • Bill Number: SD 3037
  • Title: Office of the Chief Medical Examiner Cremation Fee Increase Report
  • Status: Placed on file
  • Introduced: July 7, 2025
  • Classification: Proposed bill

Purpose and Intent

  • The bill accompanies an administrative move by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) to amend an existing regulation (505 CMR 4.03) governing fees for cremation or burial-at-sea views.
  • The stated purpose is to increase fees to better support OCME’s comprehensive medicolegal investigative services and align with a higher retained revenue budget.

Key Provisions and Changes

  • Regulatory Change: Amend 505 CMR 4.03 (Fee Assessed for Cremation or Burial at Sea Views) to increase the per-view cremation/burial-at-sea fees.
  • Revenue Estimate: The OCME projects annual revenue of approximately $8.6 million, based on an estimated 30,000+ cremation views per year.
  • Public Process: The OCME will hold a public hearing to solicit input on the proposed amendment (scheduled for August 5, 2025).
  • Effective Date: The amended regulation is expected to take effect no sooner than 60 days after June 23, 2025 (the date of the OG letter), with a likely earliest effective window around late August 2025 after the 60-day period.
  • Authority for Change: The change is pursued through a regulatory amendment rather than a standalone statute, with legislative action limited to placing the bill on file.

Who is Affected

  • Directly Affected: Families and individuals seeking cremation views, and other clients paying for cremation or burial-at-sea viewing services provided by OCME.
  • Indirectly Affected: Funeral service providers, and entities involved in the medicolegal or investigative services funded by OCME’s retained revenue.

Procedural and Timeline Details

  • Legislative Action: 2025-07-07 — Placed on file (status indicating no immediate legislative passage required; bill remains available for potential future action).
  • Regulatory Action: OCME plans to amend 505 CMR 4.03, with a public hearing on August 5, 2025, and an anticipated effective date no sooner than 60 days after June 23, 2025 (roughly August 22, 2025, at the earliest).

Notes

  • This measure appears to be primarily a regulatory fee adjustment leveraged through the OCME, with a stated goal of increasing annual revenue to fund medicolegal investigative services.
  • Details on the specific new fee amounts are not provided in the summary text; the exact figures would be in the amended regulation and accompanying regulatory documents.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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