1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to civil actions; providing punitive damages if news media violates 
1.3 	a promise to protect a confidential source; proposing coding for new law in 
1.4 	Minnesota Statutes, chapter 595.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. [595.026] DAMAGES FOR BREACH OF PROMISE OF 
1.7 	CONFIDENTIALITY.
1.8 	If a person directly engaged in the gathering, procuring, compiling, editing, or 
1.9 	publishing of information for the purpose of transmission, dissemination, or publication 
1.10 	to the public breaches an oral or written promise of confidentiality made to a source 
1.11 	of information, the source may recover, in addition to any actual damages, punitive 
1.12 	damages under section 549.20.  A motion to amend the pleadings under section 549.191 is 
1.13 	not required under this section, but the claim for punitive damages must meet all other 
1.14 	requirements of section 549.191.

1.15 	Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.
 1.16 	Section 1 is effective August 1, 2006, for causes of action arising on or after that date.