July 27, 2014: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Atlanta upheld a Florida law forbidding health professionals from asking patients questions about firearms that are not directly relevant to medical care or safety. The judgment says, “We find that the Act is a valid regulation of professional conduct that has only incidental effect on physicians’ speech.”
The Florida law was passed following a series of complaints from patients that medical personnel were asking unwelcome questions on firearms ownership during interviews.
- In one case, a health care provider falsely told a patient that disclosing firearm ownership was a Medicaid requirement.
- In another, a mother was separated from her children while medical staff asked the children whether the mother owned firearms.
Just four days after Governor Scott signed the 2011 Firearm Owners’ Privacy Act into law, a group of physicians filed suit, arguing it violated their First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. Gun rights advocates say this week’s federal court ruling this week confirms the correctness of the intent of the legislation – i.e., to protect the privacy of firearms owners and to stop the political interrogation of gun owners and the children of gun owners when they seek medical care.

Source:
http://www.guns.com/2014/07/27/federal-court-upholds-florida-law-in-docs-vs-glocks-case/