"Medical amnesty" for helping ailing revelers passed

Legislature passes so-called "medical amnesty" bill

May 18, 2013 at 11:29PM

Underage partiers who call for emergency help for an ailing friend can avoid prosecution under a bill given final approval by the Legislature on Saturday.

The proposal, known as a "medical amnesty," is aimed at encouraging people who may be violating alcohol laws to call for help if a friend needs medical assistance.

It states that a person is immune to prosecution for under aged possession or consumption of alcohol if he or she calls 911 to help someone else, stays on the scene and cooperates with authorities when they arrive.

College student organizations have pushed for the bill. The Senate approved it by a 51-10 vote on Saturday, following approval by a 124-8 margin on Thursday. It now goes to Gov. Mark Dayton.

about the writer

about the writer

jimrags

More from No Section

See More
FILE -- A rent deposit slot at an apartment complex in Tucker, Ga., on July 21, 2020. As an eviction crisis has seemed increasingly likely this summer, everyone in the housing market has made the same plea to Washington: Send money — lots of it — that would keep renters in their homes and landlords afloat. (Melissa Golden/The New York Times) ORG XMIT: XNYT58
Melissa Golden/The New York Times

It’s too soon to tell how much the immigration crackdown is to blame.