Minnesota Session Laws - 1999, Regular Session

                             CHAPTER 24-S.F.No. 255 
                  An act relating to crime; providing that interference 
                  with an emergency call is a crime; amending Minnesota 
                  Statutes 1998, section 609.78. 
        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
           Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 609.78, is 
        amended to read: 
           609.78 [EMERGENCY TELEPHONE CALLS AND COMMUNICATIONS.] 
           Subdivision 1.  [MISDEMEANOR OFFENSES.] Whoever does the 
        following is guilty of a misdemeanor: 
           (1) refuses to relinquish immediately a coin-operated 
        telephone or a telephone line consisting of two or more stations 
        when informed that the line is needed to make an emergency call 
        for medical or ambulance service or for assistance from a police 
        or fire department or for other service needed in an emergency 
        to avoid serious harm to person or property, and an emergency 
        exists; 
           (2) secures a relinquishment of a coin-operated telephone 
        or a telephone line consisting of two or more stations by 
        falsely stating that the line is needed for an emergency; 
           (3) publishes telephone directories to be used for 
        telephones or telephone lines and the directories do not contain 
        a copy of this section; 
           (4) makes an emergency a call for emergency medical or 
        ambulance service, knowing that no medical emergency exists; or 
           (5) interrupts, disrupts, impedes, or otherwise interferes 
        with the transmission of a citizen's band radio channel 
        communication the purpose of which is to inform or inquire about 
        a medical emergency or an emergency in which property is or is 
        reasonably believed to be in imminent danger of damage or 
        destruction. 
           Subd. 2.  [INTERFERENCE WITH A 911 AN EMERGENCY CALL; GROSS 
        MISDEMEANOR OFFENSE.] A person who intentionally interrupts, 
        disrupts, impedes, or otherwise interferes with a 911 an 
        emergency call or who intentionally prevents or hinders another 
        from placing a 911 an emergency call, and whose conduct does not 
        result in a violation of section 609.498, is guilty of a gross 
        misdemeanor and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more 
        than one year or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, 
        or both. 
           Subd. 3.  [DEFINITION.] For purposes of this section, 
        "emergency call" means: 
           (1) a 911 call; 
           (2) any call for emergency medical or ambulance service; or 
           (3) any call for assistance from a police or fire 
        department or for other assistance needed in an emergency to 
        avoid serious harm to person or property, 
        and an emergency exists. 
           Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
           Section 1 is effective the day following final enactment 
        and applies to crimes committed on or after that date. 
           Presented to the governor March 25, 1999 
           Signed by the governor March 29, 1999, 3:46 p.m.