Purpose

The bill updates Minnesota law to strengthen education for parents and caregivers about the dangers of shaking infants and young children, and it provides funding to support these educational efforts. It aims to reduce injuries related to shaking and improve awareness at hospitals and during well-baby visits.

Main Provisions

• Hospital education for parents of newborns

  • Hospitals must make a video about the dangers of shaking infants and young children available for viewing by the parents of every newborn.
  • Hospitals must use a video obtained from the commissioner or approved by the commissioner; copies must be provided to hospitals at cost.
  • The commissioner may review other videos for possible approval, and hospitals are not required to use videos that would impose royalties or impose additional costs or viewing restrictions.
  • Before discharge, at least one parent must view the video, and whenever possible, both parents should be asked to view.
  • The showing or distribution of the video cannot subject a person or facility to damages or other relief as long as actions were in good faith.

• Education by health care providers

  • The commissioner will establish a protocol for educating parents and primary caregivers about the dangers of shaking infants and young children.
  • The commissioner must identify, approve, and make materials available to family practice physicians, pediatricians, and other pediatric primary care providers for use at well-baby visits.
  • Providers must review these dangers with parents and primary caregivers at each well-baby visit for infants up to age one and for children up to age three, using the protocol and materials.
  • The protocol and materials must be reviewed by the commissioner by July 1, 2031, and then at least every five years to ensure accuracy, with updates as needed.

• Periodic review of videos

  • Beginning July 1, 2026, and every five years thereafter, the commissioner must review the videos provided or approved under the education program to ensure they cover essential topics accurately.
  • The commissioner must seek input from interested or expert organizations and individuals during each review.
  • After each review, videos that do not address all essential topics or lack accurate information are to be removed from availability to hospitals.

• Funding

  • In fiscal year 2027, there is an appropriation from the general fund to the commissioner of health to implement the program, including approving/providing educational videos to hospitals and making materials available to health care providers for use at well-baby visits.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Adds new requirements to Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 144.574, creating a formal, ongoing education framework about the dangers of shaking infants and young children.
• Establishes hospital-level and provider-level education obligations, including mandated video viewing and well-baby visit education.
• Introduces a formal, periodic review process for both videos and educational materials, with input from subject-matter experts.
• Creates an ongoing funding stream (initial appropriation in FY 2027) to support video approval, distribution, and educational materials.
• Provides a good-faith immunity provision regarding the video distribution to avoid damages, clarifying civil liability under the education program.

Implementation and Oversight

• Oversight by the Commissioner of Health, who will:
  • Approve and distribute videos to hospitals and maintain materials for well-baby visits.
  • Develop and update the education protocol for providers.
  • Conduct periodic reviews of videos and coordinate stakeholder input.
• Hospitals are responsible for ensuring parents view the mandated video before discharge and for facilitating access to approved materials.
• Health care providers must incorporate the approved materials into well-baby visits and educate parents and primary caregivers at specified ages.

Practical Implications

• Parents and caregivers will receive standardized education about the dangers of shaking infants, starting at birth and continuing through early childhood.
• Hospitals will play a central role in delivering this health education at the point of newborn discharge.
• Ongoing funding and periodic updates aim to keep information current and scientifically accurate.

Relevant Terms - Dangers of shaking infants and young children - Shaken Baby Syndrome / abusive head trauma (contextual term related to the issue) - Hospitals - Video presentation on dangers - Commissioner of Health - Protocol for education - Well-baby visits - Primary caregivers - Family practice physicians - Pediatricians - Educational materials - Royalty-free / copyrights (royalties not required) - Good-faith immunity - General Fund appropriation - Minnesota Statutes 144.574 - Approval and distribution of videos - Public viewing restrictions (not to impose additional costs or access barriers)