# Plain Language Summary: Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act

Healthcare and social service workers face violence on the job at rates far higher than most other professions. Nurses, home health aides, psychiatric workers, and emergency room staff are attacked, threatened, and assaulted regularly—sometimes dozens of times more often than the average American worker. This bill requires the federal government to create and enforce a mandatory safety standard that forces employers in these industries to develop detailed plans to prevent workplace violence and protect their employees from harm.

Right now, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published guidelines for preventing workplace violence in healthcare settings, but these are just recommendations—employers don't have to follow them. This bill changes that by requiring OSHA to issue a binding legal standard within one year that healthcare and social service employers must follow. The standard would apply to hospitals, nursing homes, mental health clinics, emergency services, home health agencies, substance abuse treatment centers, and similar facilities. Employers would need to create comprehensive violence prevention plans, train their staff on how to handle violent situations, report and track incidents, and implement specific safety measures tailored to their workplace. The bill also requires a final, permanent standard to be completed within 42 months.

The bill covers a wide range of healthcare and social service workers and facilities, including those run by federal agencies. It specifically excludes small private medical practices that operate independently from larger facilities, and it doesn't apply to child daycare services. For workers in covered facilities, this means their employers would be legally required to take workplace violence seriously and invest in real prevention strategies—not just treat it as an unavoidable part of the job. Employers who fail to comply could face penalties and enforcement action from OSHA, similar to violations of other workplace safety standards.

Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act

Courtney, Joe

Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act This bill requires the Department of Labor to address workplace violence in health care, social service, and other sectors. Specifically, Labor must issue an interim occupational safety and health standard that requires certain employers to take actions to protect workers and other personnel from workplace violence. The standard applies to employers in the health care sector, in the social service sector, and in sectors that conduct activities similar to those in the health care and social service sectors. In addition, Labor must promulgate a final standard within a specified time line.