GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2015

SESSION LAW 2015-97

HOUSE BILL 560

AN ACT to provide that it is a felony to assault hospital personnel and licensed healthcare providers who are PROVIDING OR ATTEMPTING TO PROVIDE SERVICES IN A HOSPITAL.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 14‑34.6 reads as rewritten:

"§ 14‑34.6.  Assault or affray on a firefighter, an emergency medical technician, medical responder, and emergency department hospital personnel.

(a)        A person is guilty of a Class I felony if the person commits an assault or affray causing physical injury on any of the following persons who are discharging or attempting to discharge their official duties:

(1)        An emergency medical technician or other emergency health care provider.

(2)        A medical responder.

(3)        The following emergency department personnel: physicians, physicians assistants, nurses, and licensed nurse practitioners.Hospital personnel and licensed healthcare providers who are providing or attempting to provide health care services to a patient in a hospital.

(4)        Repealed by Session Laws 2011‑356, s. 2, effective December 1, 2011, and applicable to offenses committed on or after that date.

(5)        A firefighter.

(b)        Unless a person's conduct is covered under some other provision of law providing greater punishment, a person is guilty of a Class H felony if the person violates subsection (a) of this section and (i) inflicts serious bodily injury or (ii) uses a deadly weapon other than a firearm.

(c)        Unless a person's conduct is covered under some other provision of law providing greater punishment, a person is guilty of a Class F felony if the person violates subsection (a) of this section and uses a firearm."

SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective December 1, 2015, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 10^th day of June, 2015.

                                                                    s/  Daniel J. Forest

                                                                         President of the Senate

                                                                    s/  Tim Moore

                                                                         Speaker of the House of Representatives

                                                                    s/  Pat McCrory

                                                                         Governor

Approved 10:05 a.m. this 19^th day of June, 2015