An Act to provide for the mandatory reporting by physicians and hospitals or similar institutions in the District of Columbia of injuries caused by firearms or other dangerous weapons
PL 89-776 (H.R.9985), enacted 11/06/1966

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.