Criminalizes the knowing and intentional failure of a physician, nurse, or other licensed medical person to provide reasonable medical care and treatment to an infant born alive as a felony.

Plain-English Summary

This bill would make it a serious crime for doctors, nurses, or other licensed medical professionals to deliberately withhold reasonable medical care from a baby that has been born alive. Under this legislation, if a medical professional knowingly and intentionally fails to provide appropriate treatment to a live newborn, they could be charged with a felony — one of the most serious categories of criminal offense.

The bill primarily affects licensed medical personnel, such as physicians and nurses, who are present at or involved in a birth. It would establish a legal obligation to provide standard medical care to any infant born alive, regardless of the circumstances of the birth. Medical professionals who violate this requirement could face criminal prosecution and the significant penalties that come with a felony conviction, which can include prison time and the loss of their professional license.

It is worth noting that existing medical ethics and standards of care already generally require treatment for viable newborns, and federal law (the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act) already provides some related protections. This bill would add a specific criminal penalty at the Rhode Island state level for intentional failure to provide care. The bill has been introduced and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it will be reviewed before any further action is taken.