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Senate committee hears bill to pause lung‑float autopsy test pending study
Summary
A Senate Finance Committee hearing considered HB 1143, which would place a two‑year moratorium on use of the lung float test in perinatal autopsies while Maryland studies its reliability; supporters cited forensic experts and wrongful‑conviction risk while opponents called it an investigatory tool whose removal could impede inquiries.
Delegate Leslie Lopez urged the Senate Finance Committee to approve HB 1143 as amended, asking lawmakers to impose a two‑year moratorium on the lung float test while the Department of Health, the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner study the test’s usefulness in assessing live birth. "When criminal liability hinges on the proof of a live birth, the evidence must demonstrate sustained life, not simply the presence of air in lungs," Lopez said.
Supporters including a letter from 25 forensic pathologists and academic experts told the committee that the lung float test lacks standardization, has documented false positives and false negatives,…
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