Minnesota Session Laws - 1985, Regular Session

  

                         Laws of Minnesota 1985 

                         CHAPTER 288-S.F.No. 35 
           An act relating to crimes; requiring health 
          professionals to report suspicious wounds to law 
          enforcement authorities; amending Minnesota Statutes 
          1984, sections 626.52; and 626.55. 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
    Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1984, section 626.52, is 
amended to read: 
    626.52 [PHYSICIANS AND OTHER AIDS TO HEALING TO REPORT 
INJURIES FROM FIREARMS REPORTING OF SUSPICIOUS WOUNDS BY HEALTH 
PROFESSIONALS.] 
    Subdivision 1.  [DEFINITION.] As used in subdivision 2, 
"health professional" means a physician, surgeon, person 
authorized to engage in the practice of healing, superintendent 
or manager of a hospital, nurse, or pharmacist.  
    Subd. 2.  [HEALTH PROFESSIONALS REQUIRED TO REPORT.] Every 
physician, every surgeon, every person authorized to engage in 
the practice of healing, every superintendent or manager of a 
hospital, every nurse and every pharmacist, whether such 
physicians, surgeons, persons engaged in the practice of 
healing, superintendent or manager of any hospital, nurse and 
pharmacist be licensed or not, A health professional shall 
immediately report, as provided under section 626.53, to the 
proper local police authorities, as herein defined, department 
or county sheriff all bullet wounds, gunshot wounds, powder 
burns, or any other injury arising from, or caused by the 
discharge of any gun, pistol, or any other firearm, which wound 
he is called upon to treat, dress, or bandage.  
    A health professional shall report to the proper police 
authorities any wound that the reporter has reasonable cause to 
believe has been inflicted on a perpetrator of a crime by a 
dangerous weapon other than a firearm as defined under section 
609.02, subdivision 6. 
    Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1984, section 626.55, is 
amended to read: 
    626.55 [PENALTY.] 
    Subdivision 1.  Any person who violates any provision of 
sections 626.52 to 626.55 is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.  
    Subd. 2.  Any person reporting in good faith and exercising 
due care shall have immunity from any liability, civil or 
criminal, that otherwise might result by reason of his actions 
pursuant to this section.  No cause of action may be brought 
against any person for not making a report pursuant to this 
section. 
    Approved June 4, 1985