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Iowa bill would make it a crime not to call if danger cited

Iowa Condition of the State
Posted at 11:28 AM, Feb 20, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-20 12:28:25-05

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A teenager’s drowning death last year is prompting lawmakers in Iowa to consider making it a crime to fail to call emergency responders to report when someone appears to be in serious danger.

The Iowa City Press-Citizen reported that the family of Noah Herring supports the bill. Herring was 15 when he drowned in April in Coralville Reservoir.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said three teens and an adult were present, but none placed a call to get help.

Democratic State Sen. Kevin Kinney says the bill would make failing to call emergency responders an aggravated misdemeanor.

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