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April 16, 2026 Clouds | 71°F
The 194th General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Bill S.1718 194th (Current)

An Act requiring health care employers to develop and implement programs to prevent workplace violence

By Ms. Lovely, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1718) of Joan B. Lovely, Vanna Howard, Hannah Kane, Paul W. Mark and other members of the General Court for legislation to require health care employers to develop and implement programs to prevent workplace violence. Public Safety and Homeland Security.

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Bill Information

Presenter:
Joan B. Lovely
Status:
Referred to Senate Committee on Ways and Means

Workplace Violence

This bill requires health care employers to annually perform risk assessments to identify potential workplace violence, particularly in high-risk environments such as areas with elevated crime rates or existing security concerns. Following these assessments, employers must implement violence mitigation programs, which include employee training and robust reporting systems. A comprehensive workplace violence prevention plan, which outlines risk factors, strategies to mitigate them, and procedures following an incident, must be created and accessible to all staff and their representatives. Furthermore, the bill allows employees who experience assaults while performing their duties to take paid leave without using their accrued leave time, although employers can request documentation while keeping such information confidential. It prohibits employers from retaliating against employees exercising these rights and mandates that facilities display multilingual notices about employee rights under this legislation. Employers face penalties for failing to comply with these requirements. In addition, amendments to existing laws introduce specific criminal penalties for those assaulting health care workers in the line of duty and facilitate secure handling of related documents for affected employees. The bill enhances data sharing and cooperation between health care facilities and law enforcement agencies to improve safety and treatment coordination, including issuing future recommendations to strengthen these collaborations.
* The bill summary was created by the Primary Sponsor of the bill; no committee of the General Court certifies the accuracy of its contents.

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