House File 455

                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

                                       (SUCCESSOR TO HF 116)


    Passed House, Date               Passed Senate,  Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act requiring licensed health=related professionals to report
  2    certain burn injuries to a law enforcement agency.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 1979HV 80
  5 jm/pj/5

PAG LIN

  1  1                          BURN INJURIES
  1  2    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  147.113A  REPORT OF BURN
  1  3 INJURIES.
  1  4    Any person licensed under the provisions of this subtitle
  1  5 who administers any treatment to a person suffering a burn
  1  6 which appears to be of a suspicious nature on the body, a burn
  1  7 to the upper respiratory tract, a laryngeal edema due to the
  1  8 inhalation of super=heated air, or a burn injury that is
  1  9 likely to result in death, which appears to have been received
  1 10 in connection with the commission of a criminal offense, or to
  1 11 whom an application is made for treatment of any nature
  1 12 because of any such burn or burn injury shall at once but not
  1 13 later than twelve hours after treatment was administered or
  1 14 application was made report the fact to law enforcement.  The
  1 15 report shall be made to the law enforcement agency within
  1 16 whose jurisdiction the treatment was administered or
  1 17 application was made, or if ascertainable, to the law
  1 18 enforcement agency in whose jurisdiction the burn or burn
  1 19 injury occurred, stating the name of such person, the person's
  1 20 residence if ascertainable, and giving a brief description of
  1 21 the burn or burn injury.  Any provision of law or rule of
  1 22 evidence relative to confidential communications is suspended
  1 23 insofar as the provisions of this section are concerned.
  1 24    Sec. 2.  CODIFICATION.  The Code editor shall codify this
  1 25 Act separately from sections 147.111 through 147.113.
  1 26                           EXPLANATION
  1 27    This bill requires licensed health=related professionals to
  1 28 report certain burn injuries to a law enforcement agency.
  1 29    The bill provides that a licensed health=related
  1 30 professional who treats a person suffering a suspicious burn,
  1 31 a burn to the upper respiratory tract, a laryngeal edema, or a
  1 32 burn injury likely to cause death shall report the burn injury
  1 33 to a law enforcement agency if the burn injury appears related
  1 34 to the commission of a criminal offense.  The bill also
  1 35 provides that a licensed health=related professional shall
  2  1 report such a burn injury if the person seeks treatment for
  2  2 the injury but is not treated.
  2  3    Under the bill, the report shall be made to a law
  2  4 enforcement agency within 12 hours of the person being treated
  2  5 or seeking treatment.  The report shall be made to a law
  2  6 enforcement agency in the jurisdiction where the person
  2  7 received treatment or sought treatment, or if ascertainable,
  2  8 to the law enforcement agency where the burn injury occurred.
  2  9    Any law or rule that prohibits a licensed health=related
  2 10 professional from communicating information pursuant to this
  2 11 bill is suspended by the bill.
  2 12 LSB 1979HV 80
  2 13 jm/pj/5