U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) is spearheading an effort in Washington to establish federal criminal penalties for assaulting hospital employees, amid a national surge in healthcare workers being harmed while on the job.
The Save Healthcare Workers Act was introduced by Hyde-Smith and Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) this week with the goal of deterring and preventing violence against healthcare workers by authorizing federal tools to prosecute individuals who incite violence against hospital employees.
The legislation comes as a study cited by lawmakers found that in 2021, 77% of emergency department staff were exposed to violence, with those situations not only putting employees at risk but hurting workforce recruitment and retention. A more recent study, conducted by National Nurses United, found that in 2023, 81.6% of nurses have experienced at least one type of workplace violence incident, and nearly half have seen a rise in rates of violence inside healthcare settings.
“I am proud that Mississippi has been leading the way by strengthening laws to protect our healthcare workers. But we know there’s still more work to do on the federal level,” Hyde-Smith said, pointing to state lawmakers implementing further penalties in recent years for assaults on nurses and other healthcare workers.
“I believe the federal government can help deter violence and keep our healthcare workers safe by establishing stronger penalties for those who assault hospital employees,” she continued. “Our legislation will protect these workers and, importantly, the people who rely on their care.”
The Save Healthcare Workers Act would establish fines and an up to a 10-year federal prison sentence for anyone convicted of assaulting hospital personnel, with increased penalties for the use of a deadly or dangerous weapon or infliction of bodily harm. If passed, the legislation would provide hospital staff the same protections already given to flight attendants and airport workers.
A companion bill has been introduced in the U.S. House by Reps. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) with hopes of getting the Save Healthcare Workers Act to the president’s desk in short time.
Members of the healthcare community have already come out and publicly endorsed the legislation, including the American Hospital Association, Emergency Nurses Association, Mississippi Hospital Association, Mississippi Healthcare Collaborative, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Mississippi State Medical Association, American Organization for Nursing Leadership, American’s Essential Hospitals, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Healthcare Workforce Coalition.
“Every day, healthcare workers show up to care for others, sometimes in extremely stressful and unpredictable environments. The Save Healthcare Workers Act sends a clear and powerful message: violence against hospital personnel is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Mississippi Hospital Association President and CEO Richard Roberson said. “This bill offers the protection and accountability our healthcare workforce desperately needs.”
