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HF2876 (Legislative Session 94 (2025-2026))

Crime of transferring bodily fluids at or onto certain individuals established, and offense of fourth-degree assault expanded to include all people providing health care services.

AI Generated Summary

Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to enhance public safety by addressing assaults on healthcare workers and emergency responders. It seeks to create penalties for individuals who transfer bodily fluids onto these professionals and to expand protections under the existing law for those providing health care services.

Main Provisions

  • New Crime Addition: Introduces a specific offense where an individual intentionally throws or transfers bodily fluids or feces onto any healthcare provider, such as physicians or nurses, within a hospital's emergency department.
  • Expanded Assault Definition: Broadens the scope of fourth-degree assault to include any assault on individuals providing health care services, along with those against municipal or volunteer fire department members or emergency medical personnel.
  • Penalties: Establishes the punishment for these offenses as a felony, which may result in imprisonment for up to two years, a fine of up to $4,000, or both.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

  • Assault Statute Amendment: Amends Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 609.2231, subdivision 2, to encompass assaults involving the transfer of bodily fluids at healthcare workers, thereby providing them stronger legal protection.
  • Scope Extension: Previously, the statute primarily addressed assaults resulting in demonstrable bodily harm to firefighters and emergency medical personnel. The amendment now expressly includes healthcare providers and covers assaults that do not necessarily result in traditional bodily harm but involve the intentional transfer of bodily substances.

Relevant Terms

  • Assault
  • Bodily fluids transfer
  • Fourth-degree assault
  • Healthcare providers
  • Emergency medical personnel
  • Firefighters
  • Felony penalties

Bill text versions

Actions

DateChamberWhereTypeNameCommittee Name
March 25, 2025HouseFloorActionIntroduction and first reading, referred toPublic Safety Finance and Policy

Citations

 
[
  {
    "analysis": {
      "added": [
        "Establishes a crime for transferring bodily fluids or feces at or onto healthcare providers."
      ],
      "removed": [],
      "summary": "This bill modifies the offense of fourth-degree assault to include actions against healthcare providers under Minnesota Statutes section 609.2231, subdivision 2.",
      "modified": [
        "Expands assault offense to include all people providing health care services."
      ]
    },
    "citation": "609.2231",
    "subdivision": "subdivision 2"
  }
]

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