An Act relating to the crime of misprision of felony.

A person commits the crime of "misprision" if he/she witnesses or has knowledge of a serious felony crime committed against another person, and fails to immediately report it to a peace officer or law enforcement agency. This is sometimes known as the "Good Samaritan Law."

This bill was drafted in response to the Nevada incident: A 7 year old girl was raped and murdered in a casino restroom. A college student witnessed his friend committing the crime, but he walked away and did not report it. He was not charged with any crime because Nevada does not have a "Good Samaritan Law."

Senate Bill 5 will make it a class A misdemeanor if the crime is not reported in a timely manner. The witness of crimes committed include murder in the first or second degree, kidnapping, sexual assault in the first degree, sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree, and arson in the first degree. Senate Bill 5 makes an exception to this rule if the witness believes that reporting the crime would put them in serious physical danger.