Minnesota Session Laws - 1988, Regular Session

  

                         Laws of Minnesota 1988 

                         CHAPTER 548-S.F.No. 30 
           An act relating to crimes; requiring health 
          professionals to report certain burn injuries; 
          amending Minnesota Statutes 1986, sections 626.52, 
          subdivision 1, and by adding a subdivision; 626.53; 
          and 626.55, subdivision 1. 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
    Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1986, section 626.52, 
subdivision 1, is amended to read:  
    Subdivision 1.  [DEFINITION.] As used in subdivision 2 this 
section, "health professional" means a physician, surgeon, 
person authorized to engage in the practice of healing, 
superintendent or manager of a hospital, nurse, or pharmacist. 
    Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1986, section 626.52, is 
amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
    Subd. 3.  [REPORTING BURNS.] A health professional shall 
immediately report a burn injury or wound that the professional 
is called upon to treat, dress, or bandage, if the victim has 
sustained second- or third-degree burns to five percent or more 
of the body, the victim has sustained burns to the upper 
respiratory tract or sustained laryngeal edema from inhaling 
superheated air, or the victim has sustained a burn injury or 
wound that may result in the victim's death.  The health 
professional shall make the initial report by telephoning the 
burn hotline in order to allow the proper law enforcement or 
other investigatory authority to be notified.  Within 72 hours, 
the professional shall also file a written report with the state 
fire marshal, on a form provided by the fire marshal. 
    Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1986, section 626.53, is 
amended to read: 
    626.53 [REPORT BY TELEPHONE AND LETTER.] 
    The report required by section 626.52, subdivision 2, shall 
be made forthwith by telephone or in person, and shall be 
promptly supplemented by letter, enclosed in a securely sealed, 
postpaid envelope, addressed to the sheriff of the county in 
which the wound is examined, dressed, or otherwise treated; 
except that, if the place in which the patient is treated for 
such injury or the patient's wound dressed or bandaged be in a 
city of the first, second, or third class, such report shall be 
made and transmitted as herein provided to the chief of police 
of such city instead of the sheriff.  The office of any such 
sheriff and of any such chief of police shall keep such the 
report as a confidential communication and shall not disclose 
the name of the person making the same, and the party making the 
report shall not by reason thereof be subpoenaed, examined, or 
forced to testify in court as a consequence of having made such 
a report. 
    Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1986, section 626.55, 
subdivision 1, is amended to read:  
    Subdivision 1.  Any person who violates any provision of 
sections 626.52 to 626.55, other than section 2, is guilty of a 
gross misdemeanor. 
    Approved April 18, 1988