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Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act

USA119th CongressS-1232| Senate 
| Updated: 4/1/2025
Tammy Baldwin

Tammy Baldwin

Democratic Senator

Wisconsin

Cosponsors (31)
Jeanne Shaheen (Democratic)Angela D. Alsobrooks (Democratic)Tammy Duckworth (Democratic)Catherine Cortez Masto (Democratic)Richard J. Durbin (Democratic)Edward J. Markey (Democratic)Jack Reed (Democratic)Kirsten E. Gillibrand (Democratic)Elizabeth Warren (Democratic)Ben Ray Luján (Democratic)Alex Padilla (Democratic)Christopher A. Coons (Democratic)Amy Klobuchar (Democratic)John W. Hickenlooper (Democratic)Tim Kaine (Democratic)Chris Van Hollen (Democratic)Martin Heinrich (Democratic)Michael F. Bennet (Democratic)Patty Murray (Democratic)John Fetterman (Democratic)Tina Smith (Democratic)Bernard Sanders (Independent)Brian Schatz (Democratic)Andy Kim (Democratic)Cory A. Booker (Democratic)Peter Welch (Democratic)Jeff Merkley (Democratic)Elissa Slotkin (Democratic)Raphael G. Warnock (Democratic)Gary C. Peters (Democratic)Richard Blumenthal (Democratic)

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
This legislation mandates the Secretary of Labor to issue an occupational safety and health standard focused on preventing workplace violence in the health care and social service sectors. Within one year, an interim final standard must be issued, followed by a final standard within 42 months, requiring covered employers to develop and implement comprehensive workplace violence prevention plans. These plans are designed to protect health care and social service workers from violence and must be based on existing OSHA guidelines. The required prevention plans must be developed with the meaningful participation of direct care employees and tailored to the specific conditions and hazards of each facility or service. Key components include conducting thorough risk assessments , implementing hazard prevention measures such as engineering and work practice controls, and establishing clear procedures for reporting, responding to, and investigating violent incidents. The standard also mandates protocols for emergency response, including threats of mass casualties or incidents involving weapons. Employers are obligated to provide annual training and education to employees on identified workplace violence hazards, prevention methods, reporting procedures, and their rights. Additional training is required for supervisors, new employees, and those whose job circumstances change. Comprehensive recordkeeping is a critical element, requiring employers to maintain violent incident logs for at least five years and submit annual summaries to the Secretary of Labor, alongside an annual evaluation of the plan's effectiveness. The bill broadly defines "covered facilities" to include various hospitals, residential treatment facilities, and community care settings, and "covered services" such as home health care and emergency services, while excluding private physician offices and child day care. Importantly, the legislation prohibits employers from discriminating or retaliating against employees for reporting workplace violence incidents or exercising their rights under the standard. Additionally, facilities receiving Medicare funds will be required to comply with this new workplace violence prevention standard.
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Timeline

Bill from Previous Congress

S 116-851
Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act

Bill from Previous Congress

S 117-4182
Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act

Bill from Previous Congress

S 118-1176
Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act
Apr 1, 2025

Latest Companion Bill Action

HR 119-2531
Introduced in House
Apr 1, 2025
Introduced in Senate
Apr 1, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  • Bill from Previous Congress

    S 116-851
    Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act


  • Bill from Previous Congress

    S 117-4182
    Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act


  • Bill from Previous Congress

    S 118-1176
    Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act


  • April 1, 2025

    Latest Companion Bill Action

    HR 119-2531
    Introduced in House


  • April 1, 2025
    Introduced in Senate


  • April 1, 2025
    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Labor and Employment

Related Bills

  • HR 119-2531: Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act

Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act

USA119th CongressS-1232| Senate 
| Updated: 4/1/2025
This legislation mandates the Secretary of Labor to issue an occupational safety and health standard focused on preventing workplace violence in the health care and social service sectors. Within one year, an interim final standard must be issued, followed by a final standard within 42 months, requiring covered employers to develop and implement comprehensive workplace violence prevention plans. These plans are designed to protect health care and social service workers from violence and must be based on existing OSHA guidelines. The required prevention plans must be developed with the meaningful participation of direct care employees and tailored to the specific conditions and hazards of each facility or service. Key components include conducting thorough risk assessments , implementing hazard prevention measures such as engineering and work practice controls, and establishing clear procedures for reporting, responding to, and investigating violent incidents. The standard also mandates protocols for emergency response, including threats of mass casualties or incidents involving weapons. Employers are obligated to provide annual training and education to employees on identified workplace violence hazards, prevention methods, reporting procedures, and their rights. Additional training is required for supervisors, new employees, and those whose job circumstances change. Comprehensive recordkeeping is a critical element, requiring employers to maintain violent incident logs for at least five years and submit annual summaries to the Secretary of Labor, alongside an annual evaluation of the plan's effectiveness. The bill broadly defines "covered facilities" to include various hospitals, residential treatment facilities, and community care settings, and "covered services" such as home health care and emergency services, while excluding private physician offices and child day care. Importantly, the legislation prohibits employers from discriminating or retaliating against employees for reporting workplace violence incidents or exercising their rights under the standard. Additionally, facilities receiving Medicare funds will be required to comply with this new workplace violence prevention standard.
View Full Text

Suggested Questions

Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better

Timeline

Bill from Previous Congress

S 116-851
Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act

Bill from Previous Congress

S 117-4182
Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act

Bill from Previous Congress

S 118-1176
Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act
Apr 1, 2025

Latest Companion Bill Action

HR 119-2531
Introduced in House
Apr 1, 2025
Introduced in Senate
Apr 1, 2025
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  • Bill from Previous Congress

    S 116-851
    Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act


  • Bill from Previous Congress

    S 117-4182
    Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act


  • Bill from Previous Congress

    S 118-1176
    Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act


  • April 1, 2025

    Latest Companion Bill Action

    HR 119-2531
    Introduced in House


  • April 1, 2025
    Introduced in Senate


  • April 1, 2025
    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Tammy Baldwin

Tammy Baldwin

Democratic Senator

Wisconsin

Cosponsors (31)
Jeanne Shaheen (Democratic)Angela D. Alsobrooks (Democratic)Tammy Duckworth (Democratic)Catherine Cortez Masto (Democratic)Richard J. Durbin (Democratic)Edward J. Markey (Democratic)Jack Reed (Democratic)Kirsten E. Gillibrand (Democratic)Elizabeth Warren (Democratic)Ben Ray Luján (Democratic)Alex Padilla (Democratic)Christopher A. Coons (Democratic)Amy Klobuchar (Democratic)John W. Hickenlooper (Democratic)Tim Kaine (Democratic)Chris Van Hollen (Democratic)Martin Heinrich (Democratic)Michael F. Bennet (Democratic)Patty Murray (Democratic)John Fetterman (Democratic)Tina Smith (Democratic)Bernard Sanders (Independent)Brian Schatz (Democratic)Andy Kim (Democratic)Cory A. Booker (Democratic)Peter Welch (Democratic)Jeff Merkley (Democratic)Elissa Slotkin (Democratic)Raphael G. Warnock (Democratic)Gary C. Peters (Democratic)Richard Blumenthal (Democratic)

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

Labor and Employment

Related Bills

  • HR 119-2531: Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act
  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted