Bill Text: MS SB2012 | 2010 | Regular Session | Introduced

Mississippi Senate Bill 2012 (Prior Session Legislation)

MS State Legislature page for SB2012

Introduced

Bill Title: Domestic violence; hospitals required to report suspected.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Failed) 2010-02-02 - Died In Committee [SB2012 Detail]

Download: Mississippi-2010-SB2012-Introduced.html

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2010 Regular Session

To: Judiciary, Division B

By: Senator(s) Watson

Senate Bill 2012

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 97-3-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE CERTAIN PROVIDERS TO REPORT SUSPECTED DOMESTIC ABUSE; TO GRANT IMMUNITY FOR SUCH REPORTING; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 97-3-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

97-3-7. (1) A person is guilty of simple assault if he (a) attempts to cause or purposely, knowingly or recklessly causes bodily injury to another; or (b) negligently causes bodily injury to another with a deadly weapon or other means likely to produce death or serious bodily harm; or (c) attempts by physical menace to put another in fear of imminent serious bodily harm; and, upon conviction, he shall be punished by a fine of not more than Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six (6) months, or both. However, a person convicted of simple assault (a) upon a statewide elected official, law enforcement officer, fireman, emergency medical personnel, public health personnel, social worker or family protection specialist or family protection worker employed by the Department of Human Services or another agency, youth detention center personnel, training school juvenile care worker, any county or municipal jail officer, superintendent, principal, teacher or other instructional personnel, school attendance officer, school bus driver, or a judge of a circuit, chancery, county, justice, municipal or youth court or a judge of the Court of Appeals or a justice of the Supreme Court, district attorney, legal assistant to a district attorney, county prosecutor, municipal prosecutor, court reporter employed by a court, court administrator, clerk or deputy clerk of the court, or public defender, while such statewide elected official, judge or justice, law enforcement officer, fireman, emergency medical personnel, public health personnel, social worker, family protection specialist, family protection worker, youth detention center personnel, training school juvenile care worker, any county or municipal jail officer, superintendent, principal, teacher or other instructional personnel, school attendance officer, school bus driver, district attorney, legal assistant to a district attorney, county prosecutor, municipal prosecutor, court reporter employed by a court, court administrator, clerk or deputy clerk of the court, or public defender is acting within the scope of his duty, office or employment; (b) upon a legislator while the Legislature is in regular or extraordinary session or while otherwise acting within the scope of his duty, office or employment; or (c) upon a person who is sixty-five (65) years of age or older or a person who is a vulnerable adult as defined in Section 43-47-5, shall be punished by a fine of not more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or by imprisonment for not more than five (5) years, or both.

(2) A person is guilty of aggravated assault if he (a) attempts to cause serious bodily injury to another, or causes such injury purposely, knowingly or recklessly under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life; or (b) attempts to cause or purposely or knowingly causes bodily injury to another with a deadly weapon or other means likely to produce death or serious bodily harm; and, upon conviction, he shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than one (1) year or in the Penitentiary for not more than twenty (20) years. However, a person convicted of aggravated assault (a) upon a statewide elected official, law enforcement officer, fireman, emergency medical personnel, public health personnel, social worker, family protection specialist, family protection worker employed by the Department of Human Services or another agency, youth detention center personnel, training school juvenile care worker, any county or municipal jail officer, superintendent, principal, teacher or other instructional personnel, school attendance officer, school bus driver, or a judge of a circuit, chancery, county, justice, municipal or youth court or a judge of the Court of Appeals or a justice of the Supreme Court, district attorney, legal assistant to a district attorney, county prosecutor, municipal prosecutor, court reporter employed by a court, court administrator, clerk or deputy clerk of the court, or public defender, while such statewide elected official, judge or justice, law enforcement officer, fireman, emergency medical personnel, public health personnel, social worker, family protection specialist, family protection worker, youth detention center personnel, training school juvenile care worker, any county or municipal jail officer, superintendent, principal, teacher or other instructional personnel, school attendance officer, school bus driver, district attorney, legal assistant to a district attorney, county prosecutor, municipal prosecutor, court reporter employed by a court, court administrator, clerk or deputy clerk of the court, or public defender is acting within the scope of his duty, office or employment; (b) upon a legislator while the Legislature is in regular or extraordinary session or while otherwise acting within the scope of his duty, office or employment; or (c) upon a person who is sixty-five (65) years of age or older or a person who is a vulnerable adult as defined in Section 43-47-5, shall be punished by a fine of not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) or by imprisonment for not more than thirty (30) years, or both.

(3) (a) A person is guilty of simple domestic violence who commits simple assault as described in subsection (1) of this section against a current or former spouse or a child of that person, a person living as a spouse or who formerly lived as a spouse with the defendant or a child of that person, other persons related by consanguinity or affinity who reside with or formerly resided with the defendant, a person who has a current or former dating relationship with the defendant, or a person with whom the defendant has had a biological or legally adopted child and, upon conviction, the defendant shall be punished as provided under subsection (1) of this section; however, upon a third or subsequent conviction of simple domestic violence, whether against the same or another victim and within five (5) years, the defendant shall be guilty of a felony and sentenced to a term of imprisonment not less than five (5) nor more than ten (10) years. In sentencing, the court shall consider as an aggravating factor whether the crime was committed in the physical presence or hearing of a child under sixteen (16) years of age who was, at the time of the offense, living within either the residence of the victim, the residence of the perpetrator, or the residence where the offense occurred.

(b) A person is guilty of aggravated domestic violence who commits aggravated assault as described in subsection (2) of this section against a current or former spouse or a child of that person, a person living as a spouse or who formerly lived as a spouse with the defendant, other persons related by consanguinity or affinity who reside with or formerly resided with the defendant or a child of that person, a person who has a current or former dating relationship with the defendant, or a person with whom the defendant has had a biological or legally adopted child and, upon conviction, the defendant shall be punished as provided under subsection (2) of this section; however, upon a third or subsequent offense of aggravated domestic violence, whether against the same or another victim and within five (5) years, the defendant shall be guilty of a felony and sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not less than five (5) nor more than twenty (20) years. In sentencing, the court shall consider as an aggravating factor whether the crime was committed in the physical presence or hearing of a child under sixteen (16) years of age who was, at the time of the offense, living within either the residence of the victim, the residence of the perpetrator, or the residence where the offense occurred. Reasonable discipline of a child, such as spanking, is not an offense under this paragraph (b).

(d) Every conviction of domestic violence may require as a condition of any suspended sentence that the defendant participate in counseling or treatment to bring about the cessation of domestic abuse. The defendant may be required to pay all or part of the cost of the counseling or treatment, in the discretion of the court.

(e) When investigating allegations of a violation of paragraph (a) or (b) of this subsection, law enforcement officers shall utilize the form prescribed for such purposes by the Office of the Attorney General in consultation with the sheriff's and police chief's associations.

(f) In any conviction of assault as described in any subsection of this section which arises from an incident of domestic violence, the sentencing order shall include the designation "domestic violence." The court shall forward a copy of each sentencing order bearing the designation "domestic violence" to the Office of the Attorney General.

(g) (i) Any physician, surgeon, dentist, veterinarian, paramedical employee, or nurse, or any employee of a hospital, clinic, or any other medical institution or office where patients regularly receive care, who treats, at any location, any human being suffering from a wound or injury and who has reason to believe or ought to know that the wound or injury was inflicted by an incident of simple or aggravated domestic violence, or who receives a request for such treatment, shall report the same immediately to the municipal police department or sheriff's office of the municipality or county in which treatment is administered or a request for such treatment is received.

(ii) Any person who, in good faith, makes a report required by this subsection, or who in good faith fails to make a report, shall be immune from civil liability for the making of or failure to make the reports.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2010.