healthcare workers

House of Representatives Passes Bill Addressing Violence Against Healthcare Workers

The legislation faces a tough road ahead in the Senate and a potential veto from the Trump administration, which opposes the current version of the bill.

Despite a veto threat from the Trump administration, the House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday that would require the Labor Department’s Occupational Health and Safety Administration to develop rules to protect healthcare workers from violence in the workplace.

More than two dozen Republicans joined a majority of Democrats to support the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, which passed 251-158, Bloomberg Law reported. The bill directs OSHA to issue new standards requiring healthcare and social service employers to create and implement workplace violence prevention plans.

The Labor Department would have 42 months after the bill’s enactment to develop and issue the standards. The rule must require at least the same level of protection as any state workplace violence plan OSHA has approved.

A growing number of healthcare workers face violence and assaults in the workplace. In 2016, the Government Accountability Office found that rates of violence against healthcare workers were up to 12 times higher than rates for the overall workforce. That’s in addition to the fact that 70 percent of nonfatal workplace assaults that year took place in the healthcare and social service sectors.

In a statement, the bill’s main sponsor, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.), said that the legislation’s passage was the culmination of a seven-year effort to require OSHA to address violence against people employed in the healthcare and social service sectors.

“These are some of the same people we depend on to take care of us when we need it most, and they shouldn’t have to fear for their own lives while they’re at work trying to save ours,” Courtney said.

Courtney called on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to allow senators to debate and vote on the legislation, acknowledging that the legislation faces some hurdles in order to be signed into law.

One of those obstacles will be the Trump administration’s opposition to the bill, which its critics say will cost OSHA too much money to implement. The White House’s Office of Management and Budget said it would recommend a veto because the law would require nationwide adoption of workplace violence regulations in California, which are more strict than other states.

“At a minimum, the administration does not support turning one state’s standard into a national standard without a cost-benefit analysis to assess whether doing so might benefit workers,” the Office of Management and Budget said in reference to California’s rules, according to Bloomberg Law. “The administration also believes the bill’s timelines for issuing the interim final, proposed final, and final standards are inappropriate.”

Other Republicans in the House voiced concerns that the bill would allow OSHA to move ahead with new rules without including feedback from small businesses and the public. Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) said on the House floor that the bill also ignores data-centric approaches to addressing workplace violence.

“Currently, there is no agreed-upon set of policies to prevent and mitigate workplace violence for health care and social service workers, and researchers in the field have pointed out the need for additional studies to determine the most effective response,” Foxx said, adding that “H.R. 1309 is not the right way to address this important issue.”

Still, the bill has received widespread support from healthcare workers associations and labor unions. AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler said that these workers, particularly women, are at greatest risk of workplace violence and deserve higher degrees of protection.

"This bill is about protecting their lives, and every single senator should follow the House’s lead and be clamoring to vote for this critical, life-saving legislation,” Shuler said.

About the Author

Haley Samsel is an Associate Content Editor for the Infrastructure Solutions Group at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Survey: 60 Percent of Organizations Using AI in IT Infrastructure

    Netwrix, a cybersecurity provider focused on data and identity threats, today announced the release of its annual global 2025 Cybersecurity Trends Report based on a global survey of 2,150 IT and security professionals from 121 countries. It reveals that 60% of organizations are already using artificial intelligence (AI) in their IT infrastructure and 30% are considering implementing AI. Read Now

  • New Research Reveals Global Video Surveillance Industry Perspectives on AI

    Axis Communications, the global industry leader in video surveillance, has released its latest research report, ‘The State of AI in Video Surveillance,’ which explores global industry perspectives on the use of AI in the security industry and beyond. The report reveals current attitudes on AI technologies thanks to in-depth interviews with AI experts from Axis’ global network and a comprehensive survey of more than 5,800 respondents, including distributors, channel partners, and end customers across 68 countries. The resulting insights cover AI integration and the opportunities and challenges that exist with regard to security, safety, business intelligence, and operational efficiency. Read Now

  • SIA Urges Tariff Relief for Security Industry Products

    Today, the Security Industry Association has sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick requesting relief from tariffs for security industry products and asking that the Trump administration formulate a process that allows companies to apply for product-specific exemptions. The security industry is an important segment of the U.S. economy, contributing over $430 billion in total economic impact and supporting over 2.1 million jobs. Read Now

  • Report Shows Cybercriminals Continue Pivot to Stealthier Tactics

    IBM recently released the 2025 X-Force Threat Intelligence Index highlighting that cybercriminals continued to pivot to stealthier tactics, with lower-profile credential theft spiking, while ransomware attacks on enterprises declined. IBM X-Force observed an 84% increase in emails delivering infostealers in 2024 compared to the prior year, a method threat actors relied heavily on to scale identity attacks. Read Now

  • 2025 Security LeadHER Conference Program Announced

    ASIS International and the Security Industry Association (SIA) – the leading membership associations for the security industry – have announced details for the 2025 Security LeadHER conference, a special event dedicated to advancing, connecting and empowering women in the security profession. The third annual Security LeadHER conference will be held Monday, June 9 – Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center in Detroit, Michigan. This carefully crafted program represents a comprehensive professional development opportunity for women in security this year. To view the full lineup at this year’s event, please visit securityleadher.org. Read Now

    • Industry Events

New Products

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems V07

    Automatic Systems, an industry-leading manufacturer of pedestrian and vehicle secure entrance control access systems, is pleased to announce the release of its groundbreaking V07 software. The V07 software update is designed specifically to address cybersecurity concerns and will ensure the integrity and confidentiality of Automatic Systems applications. With the new V07 software, updates will be delivered by means of an encrypted file.

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.