“Docs v. Glocks”

On June 29, 2012, a federal judge permanently barred Florida from enforcing a law prohibiting doctors from asking patients if they own guns or have guns in their home. Under the law, doctors could face disciplinary action, including fines and license suspension or termination, if they recorded firearm information in a patient’s file that was “not relevant to the patient’s medical care or safety” or was unnecessarily harassing.” The judge ruled that the law, known as the Firearm Owners’ Privacy Act, violated the free speech protections of doctors and patients and was thus unconstitutional. (For a summary of the law, read OLR Report 2012-R-0328)