Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes workplace violence protections for hospital staff.

Highlights:

• Defines “health care worker” as the following, including (Sec. 1):

• An individual who is employed or contracted to work at a licensed health care institution;

• An individual who is employed or contracted to work at a licensed health care or related services in a fieldwork setting, including:

• Home health care, home-based hospice, and home-based social work; or

• Any emergency services and transport, including services provided by firefighters and emergency responders.

• Requires that healthcare employers within 6 months of this bill's passage develop, implement, and maintain a written workplace violence prevention plan that does all of the following (Sec. 2):

• Include components that are specifically tailored to the conditions and hazards of the healthcare employer’s sites and patient-specific risk factors;

• Identify the individual who is responsible for implementing and overseeing the plan;

• Require the conspicuous posting of signs notifying that assault on a healthcare worker may be prosecuted as a felony in public areas throughout the healthcare employers sites, including for all emergency facilities; and

• Include reports on incident response and post-incident investigation procedures for:

• Healthcare employers reporting workplace violence risks, hazards, and incidents; and

• Healthcare employers responding to reports of workplace violence.

• Include procedures for emergency response and incidents involving a firearm or dangerous weapon; and

• Require healthcare employees to provide information to healthcare workers about the workers’ ability to report any assault to law enforcement.

• Requires healthcare employers to make its workplace violence prevention plan available at all times to healthcare workers and contractors (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text