Stop Blocking Hospitals Act

Bill: 116-s-4602
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Kennedy, John [R-LA]
Introduced: 2020-09-16
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Latest action: action_date: 2020-09-16
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-09-16
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Stop Blocking Hospitals Act</b></p> <p>This bill establishes a new criminal offense for preventing ambulances and vehicles used by fire departments and law enforcement agencies from responding to a call or transporting an individual to a hospital.</p> <p>An individual who engages in this conduct is subject to criminal penalties&#8212;a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both.</p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4602 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES September 16, 2020 Mr. Kennedy (for himself, Mr. Tillis , Mrs. Blackburn , Ms. Ernst , Mr. Rounds , Mr. Cramer , and Mr. Rubio ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To prohibit the obstruction of emergency vehicles.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Stop Blocking Hospitals Act . 2. Obstruction of an emergency vehicle (a) Prohibition Chapter 2 of title 18, United States Code is amended by adding at the end the following: 40C. Obstruction of an emergency vehicle (a) Offense It shall be unlawful for any person, using a channel, facility, or instrumentality of interstate or foreign commerce or otherwise affecting interstate or foreign commerce, to knowingly obstruct, delay, or prevent— (1) any ambulance or emergency vehicle from responding to a call or transporting an individual to a hospital; (2) any vehicle used by a fire department, or any officer or member of a fire department, from responding to a call or transporting an individual to a hospital; or (3) any vehicle used by a State or local law enforcement agency, or any officer of the State or local law enforcement agency, from responding to a call or transporting an individual to a hospital. (b) Penalty Any person who violates subsection (a) shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not less than 1 year nor more than 5 years, or both. . (b) Technical and conforming amendment The table of sections for chapter 2 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 40B the following: 40C. Obstruction of an emergency vehicle. .