by By Gilberto K. Garcia – TheRocketFlame.com | May 8, 2025
The Pennsylvania House has passed a key piece of legislation aimed at protecting health care workers from workplace violence. The bill passed with a 124-79 vote on Tuesday.
If enacted, the bill will require all hospitals and health care facilities to form violence prevention committees. These groups must include medical staff and focus on identifying risks, creating safety plans, and offering support to affected employees.
The legislation also ensures that workers reporting incidents of violence are protected from retaliation.
This bill, first introduced in 2019, gained momentum after a deadly shooting and hostage situation at UPMC Memorial in York earlier this year.
Rep. Leanne Krueger, D-Brookhaven, who sponsored the bill, pointed to alarming data from federal sources. In 2018, 73% of all nonfatal workplace injuries due to violence involved health care workers.
A 2024 survey by the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals showed the crisis is growing. According to the report, 66% of health care workers had experienced workplace violence—up from 50% in 2021. Worse, 72% said their facility didn’t do enough to protect them.
Co-sponsor Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, D-Scranton, a nurse by profession, called the statistics “unacceptable” and demanded stronger protections for medical staff.
However, some lawmakers opposed the bill. Rep. Seth Grove, R-York, argued that the proposed measures wouldn’t have stopped the UPMC incident. He instead pushed for expanding the powers of hospital security teams and boosting legal protections.
In response, Rep. Joe Hohenstein, D-Philadelphia, emphasized the importance of worker-led solutions. Rep. Arvind Venkat, D-Pittsburgh, an ER doctor, also spoke out, sharing personal stories of workplace violence and urging for systemic changes to protect the front-line health care workforce.
The legislation now heads to the Pennsylvania Senate for further debate and consideration.
