The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill Thursday to protect healthcare and social service workers from workplace violence by their patients.
Representative Joe Courtney of Connecticut introduced the legislation in February.
“The nurses, doctors, social workers and EMTs who care for us in our times of crisis and needs deserve to have these protections soon, not in seven years and not in 20 years, as is likely if we fail to pass this legislation into law.”
The bill will make it mandatory for workers to report violence. It would also require the institutions to develop plans to prevent violence and respond to incidents.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there’s been a 70% increase in intentional injuries to nurses by their patients between 2012 and 2018.