1.1 A bill for an act
1.2 relating to health; requiring hospitals and birth centers to educate parents on
1.3 recognizing physical abuse in infants; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota
1.4 Statutes, chapter 144.
1.5BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
1.6 Section 1. [144.575] EDUCATION ON RECOGNIZING PHYSICAL ABUSE IN
1.7INFANTS.
1.8 (a) All hospitals licensed under sections 144.50 to 144.56 and birth centers licensed
1.9under section 144.615 must provide the parents of each newborn born at the hospital or
1.10birth center with written materials to educate parents on how to recognize the signs of
1.11physical abuse in infants and how to report suspected physical abuse of infants. Hospitals
1.12and birth centers must provide written materials obtained from or approved by the
1.13commissioner of health, and must provide these written materials to the newborn's parents
1.14before the newborn is discharged from the hospital or birth center after birth.
1.15 (b) The commissioner must:
1.16 (1) develop and make available to hospitals, birth centers, and interested individuals, at
1.17cost, written materials for hospitals and birth centers to provide to parents of newborns
1.18according to paragraph (a); and
1.19 (2) review and approve or disapprove written materials submitted by hospitals and birth
1.20centers for provision to parents of newborns according to paragraph (a).
1Section 1.
REVISOR SGS/NS 25-0286702/10/25
State of Minnesota
This Document can be made available
in alternative formats upon request
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H. F. No. 953
NINETY-FOURTH SESSION
Authored by West and Hanson, J.,02/17/2025
The bill was read for the first time and referred to the Committee on Health Finance and Policy 2.1If the commissioner disapproves written materials submitted to the commissioner under
2.2this paragraph, the commissioner may suggest modifications to the written materials that,
2.3if made, would allow the commissioner to approve the written materials.
2Section 1.
REVISOR SGS/NS 25-0286702/10/25