Pennsylvania HB 812: An Act amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, establishing the Protecting Hospital Workers from Workplace Violence Grant Program and the Protecting Hospital Workers from Workplace Violence Grant Fund; providing for duties of Department of Health; and making a transfer.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 842
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 812
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY KHAN, VENKAT, GERGELY, BOROWSKI, KOSIEROWSKI,
CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, HANBIDGE, DOUGHERTY, PROBST, SANCHEZ, GIRAL,
DONAHUE, HADDOCK, PIELLI, HOHENSTEIN, HILL-EVANS,
SCHLOSSBERG, WAXMAN, CIRESI, FREEMAN, FLEMING, O'MARA,
CERRATO, GREEN, KENYATTA, BOYD AND DALEY, MARCH 5, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS, MARCH 5, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 35 (Health and Safety) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, establishing the Protecting Hospital
Workers from Workplace Violence Grant Program and the
Protecting Hospital Workers from Workplace Violence Grant
Fund; providing for duties of Department of Health; and
making a transfer.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 35 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:
CHAPTER 56A
PROTECTING HOSPITAL WORKERS FROM
WORKPLACE VIOLENCE GRANT PROGRAM
Sec.
56A01. Definitions.
56A02. Establishment of program.
56A03. Application and review process.
56A04. Allocation of grant awards.
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56A05. Reports.
56A06. Protecting Hospital Workers from Workplace Violence
Grant Fund.
56A07. Expiration.
§ 56A01. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Application." An application for a grant under the program.
"Department." The Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
"Eligible applicant." A hospital or freestanding emergency
medical care facility that submits an application to the
department for a grant under the program.
"Eligible project." A security enhancement designed to
protect the safety and security of health care workers in a
hospital or freestanding emergency medical care facility in this
Commonwealth.
"Freestanding emergency medical care facility." A facility,
structurally separate and distinct from a hospital, that
receives an individual and provides emergency care.
"Fund." The Protecting Hospital Workers from Workplace
Violence Grant Fund established under section 56A06 (relating to
Protecting Hospital Workers from Workplace Violence Grant Fund).
"Health care worker." An employee, independent contractor,
licensee or other individual authorized to provide services in a
hospital or a freestanding emergency medical care facility.
"Hospital." An institution having an organized medical staff
that is primarily engaged in providing to inpatients, by or
under the supervision of physicians, diagnostic and therapeutic
services or rehabilitation services for the care or
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rehabilitation of injured, disabled, pregnant, diseased, sick or
mentally ill persons. The term includes a facility for the
diagnosis and treatment of disorders within the scope of
specific medical specialties. The term does not include a
facility caring exclusively for the mentally ill.
"Program." The Protecting Hospital Workers from Workplace
Violence Grant Program established under section 56A02 (relating
to establishment of program).
§ 56A02. Establishment of program.
The Protecting Hospital Workers from Workplace Violence Grant
Program is established within the department to award grants to
fund innovative approaches aimed at reducing verbal and physical
violence against health care workers in hospitals or
freestanding emergency medical care facilities. The department
shall administer the program.
§ 56A03. Application and review process.
(a) Application process.--The department shall establish an
application process for the award of grants under the program no
later than 90 days after the effective date of this subsection.
An eligible applicant shall include all of the following
information in an application:
(1) A detailed explanation of the eligible applicant's
eligible project, including all of the following information:
(i) A timeline for development and implementation of
the eligible project.
(ii) A description of the population identified to
participate in the eligible project.
(iii) A detailed budget for the eligible project.
(iv) Other information regarding the administration
and support for the eligible project.
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(2) Documentation on how the eligible project will
achieve the goals of reducing verbal and physical violence
against health care workers.
(3) Performance metrics for measuring short-term and
long-term outcomes of the eligible project, including a
measure of the change in the severity and frequency of verbal
and physical violence against health care workers.
(b) Priority for selection.--The department shall prioritize
the award of grants under the program to applications that
demonstrate an innovative approach to r