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                                           ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL NO. 1561

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State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By Representatives Scott, Patrick, Armstrong, Long, Silver, Wang and P. King

Read first time 1/17/86 and referred to Committee on Judiciary.

AN ACT Relating to gunshot wounds; and adding a new section to chapter 9.41 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 9.41 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) Any health care professional licensed under a chapter referenced in RCW 18.130.040(2) who treats a human patient for a physical wound that the professional knows or reasonably believes was caused by a projectile from a firearm, shall, within four hours of first learning or suspecting the cause of the wound, report that knowledge or belief to a law enforcement agency having jurisdiction at the place of treatment.  The report may be in writing or oral and need include only the fact of the wound and such information as the health care professional has about the identity of the patient.

          (2) A health care professional who knows or reasonably believes that a wound has already been reported under subsection (1) of this section need not report the wound.

          (3) A violation of subsection (1) of this section shall be referred to the state medical disciplinary board for appropriate discipline.