Montana Nurses Association Wants Automatic Felony for Assault

HELNA, Mont. (AP) — The Montana Nurses Association is advocating for a proposed law that would institute an automatic felony charge for assault on a health care provider.

The Independent Record reports (http://bit.ly/1WBx7Xf ) the MNA launched its "Your Nurse Wears Combat Boots" campaign Thursday. The effort to get nurses and doctors in the same class of protection as police and judicial officers will be the group's third attempt at getting a similar bill passed.

Current state law says health care providers who are assaulted must press charges if they want the suspect to be prosecuted. The association says many nurses don't pursue charges, because they're too busy or don't blame the patients for their actions.

An assault could be met with jail time and fines up to $25,000 if the proposed law gets passed.