House Bill 194 seeks to add contract workers in the healthcare field to the state’s current statute protecting workers in careers with high risk of workplace violence.
According to the World Health Organization, up to one-out-of-three healthcare workers suffer physical violence at some point in their careers. In Kentucky, violence against healthcare workers carries a charge of third degree assault, but only protects those directly employed by a hospital.
Representative Kim Moser, one of the bill’s sponsors, said HB 194 would expand the existing statute to include contract employees like travel nurses, who are increasingly filling staffing gaps in the healthcare industry.
"I do think that we have seen a bit of a rise in violence in hospitals against our healthcare workers," said Moser. "This simply puts in law that if someone perpetrates violence against a healthcare worker that they be held to the same standard."
The statute as it stands already covers healthcare providers, paid or volunteer emergency medical services personnel, and paid or volunteer members of an organized fire department alongside other roles facing high incidents of workplace violence - like school employees, parole officers, and social workers.