Failing to intervene in suicide attempts could become criminal in South Dakota
Supporters cite life-saving potential of 'Josh's Bill'; opponents question punishing bystanders in traumatic moments.
PIERRE — The tragic death of a South Dakotan last spring has his family and some legislators at the state capitol calling for a new law aimed at stopping suicides and punishing ill-intended bystanders .
The South Dakota Senate on Monday advanced a proposal establishing a legal duty for witnesses to a suicide attempt to seek help, making it a misdemeanor for someone present to willfully fail to intervene or report the emergency.
