ASMSU hopes to pass Good Samaritan bill

Someday, students might not have to fear being slapped with a minor in possession ticket when helping an injured or inebriated student.

On Thursday, ASMSU’s Student Assembly Policy Committee passed the “Good Samaritan” bill, proposing that police be unable to give students under 21 years of age minor in possession tickets for assisting in an emergency call to authorities.

The bill was unanimously passed and will go before the Student Assembly on Thursday for final approval.

ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government.

The organization borrowed the idea from other universities that have begun using the practice. Ohio State University has already enacted the Good Samaritan ordinance and Penn State University is currently in the process of implementing a similar rule.

“This is a great opportunity for our organization to spearhead something that would get such great support across campus,” said Kyle Dysarz, the vice chairperson of external affairs for Student Assembly.

Committee members weren’t certain which authorities they would have to contact to enact the rule, but they plan on meeting with both the East Lansing and MSU police departments.

As a resident mentor at Hubbard Hall, Residence Hall Association representative Kevin Fleury has heard of incidents where police “handed out MIPs like M&Ms” to students after they called the paramedics for an intoxicated friend.

“In a floor with mostly freshmen, this was their first interaction with the MSU Police Department,” Fleury said. “I don’t think that friends should have any hesitance in calling an ambulance for a student’s life.”

The idea for the bill was previously tossed around in 1998, “but never really went anywhere,” Dysarz said.