Rep. Susie Lee Speaks on House Floor in Support of Workplace Violence Prevention Bill, Passes House

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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Susie Lee (Nev.-03) spoke on the House floor yesterday in support of the bipartisan Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, introduced by Rep. Joe Courtney (Conn.-02). The bill passed through the U.S. House of Representatives today.

The bipartisan bill provides health and social service workers the protection they deserve by compelling the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue rules to protect these workers. Currently, there is no enforceable federal OSHA standard that requires employers to adopt or implement a workplace violence prevention program. It typically takes OSHA decades to issue final standards absent congressional direction.

The following is a transcript of Rep. Lee's remarks:

"Health care and social service workers are some of our most dedicated, least appreciated workers in the country. They are the workers caring for the sick, the elderly, and the most vulnerable Americans while usually making just barely enough money to get by.

"A tough job is made even tougher by the fact that workers in these industries are four times as likely to be victims of workplace violence.

"What does it say about our country that we can't protect those who have dedicated their lives to protecting our most vulnerable citizens?

"Bottom line: no person should feel unsafe in their place of work.

"The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, has the authority to protect American caregivers and health care workers from workplace violence, but the reality is that there is no nationwide OSHA standard for how employers are supposed to protect their employees from workplace violence.

"Not just that, but in 24 states—nearly half of the country—public sector health and social service workers are not covered by OSHA protections.

"We have the responsibility, and we have the authority, to protect America's workers, but we have not given our government or our businesses the tools they need to protect hard-working Americans from workplace violence.

"This bill will change that. The Workplace Violence Protection Act would require OSHA to implement a standard for workplace protections for health care and socials workers. It provides protections for public sector workers where none existed before, and it identifies risks, solutions, training, and importantly, protections from retaliation for those workers who report violence in the workplace.

"I strongly urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this bill, and uphold our duty to keep every American safe."

In response to the bill's passage, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) President Lee Saunders said:

"Every year, hundreds of nurses, social workers and others are killed, and thousands are injured, due to workplace violence incidents. The cost of inaction is too high, and we can no longer allow employers to skirt their duties to protect employees who step up every day to keep us safe, care for our loved ones and make our communities strong and healthy. Our health care and social service workers deserve to be safe at work and to go home to their families at the end of the day. We celebrate the passage of this bill as a major step forward in ensuring that workers are protected and urge the Senate to take this bill up."

BACKGROUND: Our nation's caregivers—including nurses, social workers, and many others working in the health care and social services sectors—suffer workplace violence injuries at far higher rates than any other profession. In 2018, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that health care and social service workers were over four times as likely to suffer a serious workplace violence injury than workers in other sectors.

This important bill is supported by a large number of organizations, including AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, AFSCME, SEIU, Teamsters, United Auto Workers, United Steelworkers, Communication Workers of America, International Association of Fire Fighters, American Federation of Teachers, American Nurses Association, National Nurses United, Emergency Nurses Association, American Psychiatric Nurses Association, American College of Emergency Physicians, National Association of Social Workers, American Society of Safety Professionals, and National Council for Occupational Safety and Health.