Healthcare Workplace Violence Prevention Laws by State

"Violence in health care settings should never be accepted as "part of the job."

Rick Pollack, President and CEO, AHA

States across the country are moving faster than ever to address workplace violence in healthcare settings. In the past two years alone, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, Texas, and Virginia have all enacted new healthcare-specific workplace violence prevention laws — with comprehensive bills advancing in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania close behind.

The urgency is well-founded. Healthcare continues to top the list of industries where staff report intentional injury by others. The most recent federal benchmark — BLS's 14.2 cases per 10,000 full-time workers in health care and social assistance — accounts for nearly 73% of all private-industry workplace violence cases, and available data suggests the rate has not meaningfully declined.

While federal agencies like OSHA, the CDC, and NIOSH provide overarching guidelines, it is state-level legislation that is driving the most concrete requirements and enforcement mechanisms. Here, I look to cover those states that are leading the way in improving protection for frontline healthcare workers with industry-specific laws and legislation. Read on to learn more.

Legal Landscape Governing Workplace Violence Prevention

While federal agencies like OSHA and the CDC provide essential guidelines for healthcare workplace safety, including the prevention of violence, it is the state-level laws that enforce and often expand upon these guidelines.

OSHA has been developing a healthcare-specific workplace violence standard (RIN 1218-AD08) for several years, with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking initially targeted for June 2025. However, in late 2025, the agency moved this rulemaking to its "Long-Term Action" list, signaling that a binding federal standard is not expected in the near term. In the meantime, OSHA continues to enforce workplace safety in healthcare through the General Duty Clause and its 2015 voluntary guidelines.

At the state level, the picture is far more active. A growing number of states have enacted comprehensive workplace violence prevention laws tailored for healthcare settings, requiring hospitals and other healthcare institutions to develop written violence prevention plans, conduct hazard assessments, train staff, and establish policies for addressing incidents of violence. In 2025 alone, several states signed new healthcare WVP laws into effect, with more legislation advancing through committees.

State-Specific Workplace Violence Laws

With the rise of workplace violence now reaching untenable levels, I'm happy to see a number of states take the lead on improving working conditions. Below, I look at a variety of states and their specific approaches.

Alaska

Alaska Senate Bill 49, prefiled in January 2025, would allow employers — including hospitals and healthcare organizations — to petition the court for a protective order on behalf of an employee who has experienced or been threatened with workplace violence. This law is intended to make it easier for healthcare institutions to proactively safeguard their workers from ongoing threats without requiring the individual staff member to file a petition themselves. As of April 2026, SB 49 remains pending in Senate Finance and has not been enacted.

California

California has one of the most comprehensive workplace violence prevention frameworks for healthcare settings in the country. The state's healthcare-specific Cal/OSHA standard (Title 8, section 3342) requires employers to implement a workplace violence prevention plan that includes a risk assessment, hazard prevention methods, training programs, and a reporting system for incidents of violence.

In addition, Senate Bill 553 — in effect since July 1, 2024 — extends workplace violence prevention plan requirements to most California employers across all industries, including many healthcare employers beyond those already covered under section 3342. Cal/OSHA is currently developing a general-industry WVP regulation under SB 553's mandate, with a final standard due by December 31, 2026, though as of early 2026, only drafts have been released.

Connecticut

Connecticut requires healthcare employers to annually prepare an assessment of factors that put employees at risk for workplace violence and develop and implement a workplace violence prevention and response plan in collaboration with the workplace. This core framework, established by Public Act 11-175 in 2011, remains in effect.

Connecticut has since expanded these protections significantly. Public Act 24-19 (2024) created detailed WVP requirements for home health care and home health aide agencies, including intake risk information, monthly safety assessments, staff training, and violence reporting. It also requires hospitals, behavioral health facilities, and other Medicaid-participating institutions to adopt workplace violence prevention standards aligned with Joint Commission or similar accrediting bodies. Public Act 25-168 (2025) extends these home health protections to hospice agencies, effective October 1, 2025.

Florida

Florida enacted House Bill 825 in 2023, signed by Governor DeSantis on May 24, 2023. Effective October 1, 2023, the law increases criminal penalties for assault or battery against hospital personnel statewide — not just in emergency departments. Under HB 825, assault against hospital workers is elevated to a first-degree misdemeanor, battery to a third-degree felony, and aggravated battery to a first-degree felony. No additional Florida healthcare-specific WVP prevention statutes (requiring plans, committees, or training) have been enacted as of April 2026.

Illinois

Illinois has passed several state-level laws that require healthcare employers to implement workplace violence prevention programs, including risk assessments, employee training, and wearable staff panic buttons. The Healthcare Violence Prevention Act mandates that healthcare employers develop specific protocols for addressing violence and abuse within healthcare settings, including both physical and verbal assaults. This framework remains in full effect with no major amendments in 2025–2026.

Separately, SB 1435 would amend the University of Illinois Hospital Act and Hospital Licensing Act to require that hospitals provide all employees with a panic button attached to their staff identification card. While the bill specifies a July 1, 2025 effective date, SB 1435 was re-referred to the Senate Assignments Committee and has not advanced — the proposed effective date passed without action, and the bill remains pending as of April 2026.

If your organization is navigating these evolving state mandates, understanding what a compliance-ready safety infrastructure looks like is a practical next step.

Indiana

Indiana Senate Bill 419, introduced in January 2025, sought to expand criminal penalties for battery against healthcare workers by making such offenses a Level 6 felony, with enhancements to Level 5 felony status when bodily injury or aggravating factors were involved. The bill passed the Indiana Senate in February 2025 but did not advance through the House Courts and Criminal Code Committee before adjournment. SB 419 is considered failed for the 2025 session.

Indiana does have a separate 2023 law (HEA 1021) that increased penalties for battery against emergency department staff, which remains in effect.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts passed its foundational healthcare workplace violence prevention law in 2014, requiring healthcare facilities to develop violence prevention programs with staff training and security measures.

In 2025, the legislature advanced a significantly more comprehensive bill. Originally filed as H.2655, the legislation was redrafted as H.4767 and passed the Massachusetts House unanimously (158–0) on November 19, 2025. H.4767 would require healthcare employers to conduct annual facility-specific risk assessments, develop written WVP plans, provide training and post-incident support, report incidents annually to the Department of Public Health and district attorneys, and provide paid leave for workers seriously injured in workplace assaults. As of April 2026, H.4767 is pending in the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.

A separate proposal, H.2364, targets home healthcare settings, requiring employers to provide yearly safety training, communication devices, and the right to refuse unsafe assignments. H.2364 remains in committee with deadline extensions through June 2026.

Minnesota

Minnesota has specific workplace violence regulations for healthcare settings. Statute 144.566 requires hospitals to design and implement written preparedness and incident response action plans for violence against healthcare workers, with plans reviewed and updated at least annually.

The statute was strengthened in 2023 through SF 1384, which added a definition of "workplace violence hazards" and clarified requirements for employer review and staff involvement. Beginning January 1, 2025, hospitals must also submit their most recent action plan and annual review results to the Minnesota Department of Health, adding a state-level reporting element to the existing planning requirements.

New York

New York signed Assembly Bill A203B (with Senate companion S5294B) into law on December 12, 2025 as Chapter 618 of 2025 — marking one of the most significant state-level healthcare WVP actions in recent years.

The new law requires general hospitals and nursing homes to establish workplace violence prevention programs consistent with CMS conditions of participation and accreditor standards. General hospitals must begin conducting annual safety and security assessments and developing security plans starting January 1, 2027. In jurisdictions with populations of one million or more, emergency departments must maintain at least one trained security guard or off-duty law enforcement officer on-site at all times. The law's obligations phase in over the next two years, with full program implementation required within 12 months of the effective date (approximately September 2027).

New York also maintains enhanced criminal penalties for individuals convicted of assaulting healthcare workers, making it a felony offense in certain circumstances.

Ohio

Ohio's Healthcare Workplace Safety Act (House Bill 452) took effect on April 9, 2025, following Governor DeWine's signature on January 8, 2025. The law was passed in the wake of a nurse's tragic death in Dayton and requires hospital systems and stand-alone hospitals to establish formal security plans based on risk assessments, ensure at least one de-escalation-trained employee is present at all times in emergency and psychiatric departments, implement a workplace violence incident reporting system with anti-retaliation protections, and provide training for security personnel. Additionally, it mandates a survey of healthcare-related programs to assess current workplace violence training.

Oregon

Oregon has strengthened its healthcare workplace violence prevention requirements through Senate Bill 537, signed by Governor Kotek on July 17, 2025 and effective January 1, 2026. SB 537 modernizes Oregon's 2020 health care worker assault prevention law by requiring healthcare employers to develop comprehensive workplace violence prevention plans based on security assessments, maintain safety committees, conduct periodic assessments and annual training, and report workplace violence incidents to the Department of Consumer and Business Services. The law also expands the definition of covered workplace violence.

A companion House bill (HB 2552) covering similar ground did not advance and died in committee upon adjournment in June 2025.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania historically lacked a comprehensive healthcare-specific WVP statute, with hospitals relying on federal OSHA guidelines and internal policies. That is changing. House Bill 926, the Health Care Workplace Violence Prevention Act, passed the Pennsylvania House on May 6, 2025 (124–79) and was referred to the Senate Labor and Industry Committee, where it remains pending as of April 2026.

HB 926 would require hospitals, long-term care facilities, home health agencies, ambulatory surgical centers, birth centers, hospices, and psychiatric hospitals to establish violence prevention committees with substantial non-management representation, develop workplace violence prevention programs, implement reporting systems, and provide training and post-incident support.

Texas

Texas enacted Senate Bill 240 in 2023, creating one of the more detailed statewide healthcare WVP frameworks in the country. Effective September 1, 2023, with full compliance required by September 1, 2024, SB 240 requires a broad set of healthcare facilities — including hospitals, nursing facilities, home health agencies with at least two registered nurses, ambulatory surgical centers, freestanding emergency medical care facilities, and licensed mental hospitals — to adopt and implement written workplace violence prevention policies and plans. Facilities must also establish workplace violence prevention committees that include at least one RN, one physician providing direct care, and a security employee, and provide annual WVP training.

Virginia

Virginia's healthcare workplace violence legislative landscape shifted significantly in 2025. House Bill 1919, which would have required large employers to adopt workplace violence policies by January 2027, passed the General Assembly but was vetoed by Governor Youngkin on March 24, 2025. The House subsequently sustained the veto. A separate measure, House Bill 1620, which proposed forming a state work group to study workplace violence, was tabled in the House Rules Committee.

However, Virginia did enact new healthcare-specific protections through HB 2269/SB 1260, signed into law on March 24, 2025 and effective July 1, 2025. This law requires licensed hospitals to establish a workplace violence incident reporting system, document and analyze all reported incidents, provide at least quarterly reports to chief medical and nursing officers, and — beginning July 1, 2026 — submit annual data to the Virginia Department of Health. Hospitals must use this data to drive prevention improvements including de-escalation training, risk identification, and violence prevention planning.

Washington

Washington has enacted strengthened healthcare workplace violence prevention requirements through House Bill 1162, signed by the governor and effective January 1, 2026. Building on the state's existing healthcare WVP statute (RCW 49.19), HB 1162 requires that workplace violence prevention plans be developed and overseen by safety committees with equal or greater employee representation, mandates annual reviews (previously every three years), and requires timely investigation of every workplace violence incident with findings reported to the relevant safety committee.

A Senate companion bill (SB 5162) was introduced but did not advance beyond committee referral; the enacted policy came through HB 1162.

Wyoming

Wyoming is considering House Bill 155, which would require every hospital, healthcare clinic, and long-term care facility receiving state funds to report workplace violence incidents against healthcare providers monthly to the Department of Workforce Services. The department would compile this data and report to the Joint Labor, Health, and Social Services Interim Committee. As of early 2026, the bill's final enactment status has not been definitively confirmed.

How Healthcare Employers Can Ensure Compliance with State Laws

While legislation looks to catch up with rising levels of workplace violence, there's plenty that healthcare employers can do to both address these issues and ensure they are on the right side of the law if legislation is passed.

Today, I think it's crucial that employers take proactive healthcare policy initiatives to ensure compliance with state-specific workplace violence laws as well as reassess and improve on existing safety protocols. Start with the following and ensure that you regularly review your approach to WVP prevention.

• Understand State Regulations — It is critical for healthcare employers to stay informed about the workplace violence prevention laws in the states where they operate. With new legislation taking effect in New York, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, and other states through 2026–2027, regularly reviewing local legislation ensures that organizations are aware of any changes that might affect their obligations.

• Develop a Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plan — Healthcare employers should implement a workplace violence prevention plan tailored to their specific needs, incorporating risk assessments, safety protocols, and emergency response procedures. This plan should be regularly reviewed and updated to reflect new risks and changes in the legal landscape. States like California, Ohio, Oregon, and Texas now mandate annual plan reviews.

• Employee Involvement — Including healthcare workers in the development and execution of the violence prevention plan ensures that the strategies are effective and address real-world concerns. Staff should be trained regularly on de-escalation techniques, emergency response procedures, and how to report incidents of violence. Multiple new state laws — including Pennsylvania's pending HB 926 and Ohio's HB 452 — specifically require non-management representation on WVP committees.

• Create a Safe Reporting System — Establishing a confidential and accessible reporting system for employees is essential in addressing workplace violence. Healthcare workers should feel empowered to report incidents without fear of retaliation. Virginia's new HB 2269 specifically mandates that hospitals track, analyze, and report workplace violence data at both the institutional and state levels.

• Monitor and Evaluate the Plan — Healthcare employers should regularly monitor the effectiveness of their violence prevention programs. This includes tracking incidents, assessing the success of preventative measures, and making adjustments as necessary.

Healthcare-Specific Violence Prevention Strategies

"Workplace violence is going unreported because people feel that there is no effective system in place to make the effort of reporting it worthwhile," Dr. Lebares said. "People don't expect anything to be done about it."

Carter Lebares, MD, FACS, a surgeon and director of the Center for Mindfulness in Surgery at UC San Francisco.

Healthcare-specific violence prevention strategies are crucial for addressing the unique risks faced by healthcare workers. These strategies focus on identifying potential hazards, providing the necessary training, and ensuring that healthcare facilities are equipped with the appropriate safety measures to prevent and respond to violent incidents effectively. By tailoring approaches to the healthcare environment, these strategies help create safer workspaces for both staff and patients.

• Hazard Evaluation — Identify risk factors like patient behavior, staffing levels, and facility layout. Multiple state laws now require annual facility-specific risk assessments as a baseline compliance step.
• Staff Training — Provide training on de-escalation techniques and recognizing warning signs of violence. I also recommend building a robust and supportive safety culture in any healthcare facility.
• Security Assessments — Regularly assess facility security to ensure adequate safety measures. Ohio's HB 452 requires at least one de-escalation-trained employee present at all times in emergency and psychiatric departments.
• Safety Measures — Ensure the installation of staff duress systems, alarms, surveillance cameras, and proper security personnel. New York's new law mandates trained security presence in high-volume emergency departments.
• Emergency Preparedness — Train staff on procedures for responding to violent incidents and emergencies.

Conclusion

State-specific healthcare workplace violence prevention laws are essential to improving the safety and security of healthcare workers. With major new laws enacted in New York, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, Texas, and Virginia — and comprehensive bills advancing in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania — the regulatory landscape is shifting rapidly. Healthcare employers must stay informed about the legal landscape, ensure compliance, and adopt tailored violence prevention strategies. By doing so, they can create a safer work environment, reduce incidents of violence, and improve the overall quality of care.

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