An Act to provide for the mandatory reporting by physicians and institutions in-the District of Columbia of certain physical abuse of children
PL 89-775 (H.R.10304), enacted 11/06/1966

1354 
PUBLIC LAW 89-775-NOV. 6, 1966 
[80 STAT. 
Public Law 89-775 
November 6, 1966 
[H. R. 10304] 
AN ACT 
District of 
Columbia. 
Child abuse, 
reporting re-
quirement. 
77 Stat. 519. 
T
<
» provide for the mandatory reporting by physicians and in!>titutions in the 
])istrict of Columbia of certain physical abnse of children. 
Be it endcted hy the Senate and Hoiine of Reprei^entat'i ren of the 
United States of America, in Congress assembled^ 
PURPOSE 
SECTION 1. Tlie purpose of this Act is to provide for the protection 
of cliildren who have had physical injury inflicted upon them or who 
have suffered physical harm due to neglect. 
Physicians who become 
aware of such cases should report them to the Metropolitan Police 
Department of the District of Columbia thereby causing the protec-
tive services of the District of Columbia to be brought to bear in an 
effort to protect the health and welfare of these children to prevent 
further abuses, and preserve family life whenever possible. 
REPORTS BY PHYSICIANS AND INSTITTTTTONS 
SEC. 2. Notwithstanding section 14-307 of the District of Columbia 
Code, any physician in the District of Columbia, including pei-sons 
licensed under the Healing Arts Practice Act, District of Columbia, 
1929 (45 Stat. 1326; sees. 2-101 et seq., D.C. Code, 1961 edition), as 
amended, having reasonable cause to believe that a child under the 
age of eighteen brought to him or coming before him for examination, 
care, or treatment has in his opinion had serious physical injury or 
injuries inflicted upon him other than by accidental means, or has suf-
fered serious physical harm due to neglect, shall report or cause reports 
to be made in accordance with this Act: Provided^ That when a phy-
sician in the performance of service as a member of the staff of a hos-
pital or similar institution attends a child, he shall notify the person 
1
1
1 charge of the hospital or institution or his designated agent who 
shall report or cause reports to be made in accordance with this Act. 
NATURE AND CONTENT OF REPORT ; TO WHOM MADE 
SEC. 3. An oral report shall be made immediately by telephone or 
otherwise, and followed as soon thereafter as practicable by a report in 
writing, to the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of 
Columbia. Such reports shall contain the names and addresses of the 
child and his parents or other persons responsible for his care, if 
known, the child's age, nature and extent of the child's injuries (includ-
ing any evidence of previous injuries), and may furnish any other 
information which the physician or other person required to make the 
report believes might be helpful in establishing the cause of the 
injuries and the identity of the perpetrator. 
I M M U N I T Y FROM LIABILIT-Y 
SEC. 4. Any person, hospital, or institution participating in good 
faith in the making of a report pursuant to this Act shall have immu-
nity from liability, civil or criminal, that might otherwise be incurred 
or imposed with respect to the making of such report. 
Any such 
participant shall have the same immunity with respect to participa-
tion in any judicial proceeding involving such report. 
80 STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 89-776-NOV. 6, 1966 
1355 
EVIDENCE NOT PRIVILEGED 
77 Stat, 519. 
SEC. 5. Notwithstanding the provisions of the District of Columbia 
Code, sections 14-306 and 14-307, neither the physician-patient privi-
lege nor the husband-wife privilege shall be a ground for excluding 
evidence in any proceeding in the Juvenile Court of the District of 
Columbia concerning the welfare of such child, provided that the 
Juvenile Court determines such privilege should be waived in the 
interest of public justice. 
SEC. 6. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, no child 
who in ^ood faith is under treatment solely by spiritual means through 
prayer m accordance with the tenets and practices of a recognized 
church or religious denomination by a duly accredited practitioner 
thereof shall, for that reason alone, be considered to have been 
neglected within the purview of this Act. 
Approved November 6, 1966. 
Public Law 89-776 
AN A C T 
November 6, 1966 
To provide for the mandatory reporting by physicians and hospitals or similar 
[H. R. 9985] 
institutions in the District of Columbia of injuries caused by firearms or other 
dangerous weapons. 
D.C. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That any physician 
in the District of Columbia, including persons licensed under the inju^fes c'^ured 
"Healing Arts Practice Act, District of Columbia, 1929" (45 Stat, by firearms. 
1326; sec. 2-101, et seq., D.C. Code), as amended, having reasonable 
cause to believe that a person brought to him or coming before him 
for examination, care or treatment has suffered injury caused by a 
firearm, whether self-inflicted, accidental or occurring during the com-
mission of a crime, or has suffered injury caused by any dangerous 
weapon in the commission of a crime, shall report or cause reports 
to be made in accordance with this Act: Provided, That when a physi-
cian in the performance of service as a member of the staff of a hos-
pital or similar institution attends any person so injured, he shall 
notify the person in charge of the hospital or institution or his desig-
nated agent who shall report or cause reports to be made in accordance 
with this Act. 
SEC. 2. An oral report shall be made immediately by telephone or 
Report. 
otherwise, and followed as soon thereafter as possible by a report in 
writing, to the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of 
Columbia. Such reports shall contain, if readily available, the name, 
address, and age of the injured person, and sliall also contain the 
nature and extent of the person's injuries, and any other information 
which the physician or other person required to make the report be-
lieves might be helpful in establishing the cause of the injuries and 
the identity of the person who caused the injuries. 
SEC. 3. Any person, hospital, or institution participating in good 
Liability im-
faith in the making of a report pursuant to this Act shall have im- '"""'*^" 
munity from any liability, civil or criminal, that might otherwise 
be incurred or imposed with respect to the making of such report. Any 
such participant shall have the same immunity with respect to par-
ticipation in any judicial proceeding resulting from such report. 
Approved November 6, 1966.