Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to improve public safety by expanding the protection of healthcare providers against physical assaults. It seeks to classify these assaults as more severe offenses under Minnesota law.

Main Provisions

• The bill expands the current law on fourth-degree assault to include assaults against physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers working in hospital emergency departments.
• An assault of this nature would be deemed a felony if it results in demonstrable bodily harm to the victim.
• The penalties for committing such an assault include imprisonment for up to two years, a fine of up to $4,000, or both.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• The existing law currently covers assaults against members of municipal or volunteer fire departments and emergency medical services personnel but does not specifically include healthcare providers in emergency departments.
• This bill explicitly adds physicians, nurses, and other healthcare service providers in hospital emergency departments to the list of protected individuals under the fourth-degree assault statute.

Relevant Terms

• public safety
• fourth-degree assault
• physicians
• nurses
• healthcare providers
• hospital emergency departments
• felony
• bodily harm