S.1232 - Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (119th Congress)
Summary
S.1232, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, directs the Secretary of Labor to issue an occupational safety and health standard requiring covered employers in the health care and social service industries to develop and implement comprehensive workplace violence prevention plans. The bill mandates both an interim final standard within one year and a final standard within 42 months of enactment. It also includes amendments to the Social Security Act to apply the workplace violence prevention standard to certain facilities receiving Medicare funds.
Expected Effects
The Act aims to reduce workplace violence in healthcare and social service settings by requiring employers to create and maintain violence prevention plans. This includes risk assessments, hazard prevention, incident reporting, and employee training. The changes to the Social Security Act will tie Medicare funding to compliance with these standards.
Potential Benefits
- Improved safety for healthcare and social service workers.
- Reduction in workplace violence incidents.
- Enhanced training and resources for employees to handle violent situations.
- Increased accountability for employers to address workplace violence risks.
- Better data collection and reporting on workplace violence incidents.
Potential Disadvantages
- Increased costs for healthcare and social service facilities to implement and maintain the required prevention plans.
- Potential administrative burden for employers in complying with the new regulations.
- Possible delays in patient care due to new safety protocols.
- Concerns about data privacy related to incident reporting and record-keeping.
- Risk of inconsistent enforcement or interpretation of the standards.
Constitutional Alignment
The bill's alignment with the US Constitution is primarily based on Congress's power to regulate interstate commerce (Article I, Section 8). By setting workplace safety standards that impact industries involved in interstate commerce, the bill falls within this purview. The enforcement mechanisms, including potential impacts on Medicare funding, also align with Congress's spending power (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1).
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).