Delgado Offers Amendment to Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act

I want to first thank my colleague Congressman Courtney for his leadership on this bill, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act This is a long overdue legislation to protect our nation's caregivers, including nurses and physicians, and many others who dedicate their lives to healing. Workplace violence is far too common in facilities that are suppose supposed to be places of rehabilitation, treatment, and therapy. Last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that health care and social service workers were over four times as likely to suffer a serious injury from workplace violence than workers in other sectors. The legislation we're considering today would make an important improvement in workplace safety by defining workplace violence as any act or threat of force against an employee that could result in physical injury, psychological trauma, or stress—and ensure that OSHA and employers develop and implement comprehensive, workplace-specific plans to prevent such violence. These plans will not only protect employees, but also keep patients, visitors, and those in medical facilities out of harm's way. We all deserve to feel protected in hospitals and social service settings, and this bill would accomplish that. However, to facilitate these plans, we need to work in partnership with employers and businesses to ensure that they have the proper resources and information to comply with these protection plans. My amendment. seeks to strengthen this legislation by prioritizing technical assistance for employers during the first year of the bill's implementation enacted. This business-friendly amendment will work to ensure our employers are equipped with the tools to better protect their employees and prevent workplace violence. I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support our health care and social service facilities across the country and include my amendment to strengthen the underlying bill. Let's stand with our nation's employees and employers to make our workplaces safer for everyone. from New York.