Signed by Governor Tim Walz

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report and pass a bill that requires safety protections for healthcare workers.

Highlights:

• Specifies that this bill will be titled as the “Nurse and Patient Safety Act” (Sec. 1).

• Requires that hospitals develop an incident response plan to deal with workplace violence hazards or potential acts of violence against hospital nurses and other health care workers (Sec. 2).

• Defines “hospital nurses” as an individual who is licenses as a registered nurse and who is providing direct patient care in a nonprofit hospital setting (Sec. 2).

• Defines “workplace violence hazards” as locations and situations where violence incidents are more likely to occur, including locations isolated from other healthcare workers, healthcare workers working alone or in remote locations with poor illumination or visibility, lack of escape routes or obstacles and impediments to accessing alarm systems (Sec. 6).

• Specifies that the provisions of this bill shall become effective July 1, 2023 (Sec. 15).

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to adopt a conference report and pass a bill that requires safety protections for healthcare workers.

Highlights:

• Specifies that this bill will be titled as the “Nurse and Patient Safety Act” (Sec. 1).

• Requires that hospitals develop an incident response plan to deal with workplace violence hazards or potential acts of violence against hospital nurses and other health care workers (Sec. 2).

• Defines “hospital nurses” as an individual who is licenses as a registered nurse and who is providing direct patient care in a nonprofit hospital setting (Sec. 2).

• Defines “workplace violence hazards” as locations and situations where violence incidents are more likely to occur, including locations isolated from other healthcare workers, healthcare workers working alone or in remote locations with poor illumination or visibility, lack of escape routes or obstacles and impediments to accessing alarm systems (Sec. 6).

• Specifies that the provisions of this bill shall become effective July 1, 2023 (Sec. 15).

Full Bill Text