Stricken language would be deleted from and underlined language would be added to present law.
Act 313 of the Regular Session
1 State of Arkansas
2 94th General Assembly A Bill
3 Regular Session, 2023 SENATE BILL 344
4
5 By: Senator K. Hammer
6 By: Representative L. Johnson
7
8 For An Act To Be Entitled
9 AN ACT TO REQUIRE POSTING OF A WRITTEN NOTICE THAT
10 ATTACKING A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL IS A FELONY; TO
11 ALLOW A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL TO USE A WORK ADDRESS
12 WHEN REPORTING CERTAIN OFFENSES; AND FOR OTHER
13 PURPOSES.
14
15
16 Subtitle
17 TO REQUIRE POSTING OF A WRITTEN NOTICE
18 THAT ATTACKING A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL
19 IS A FELONY; AND TO ALLOW A HEALTHCARE
20 PROFESSIONAL TO USE A WORK ADDRESS WHEN
21 REPORTING CERTAIN OFFENSES.
22
23
24 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS:
25
26 SECTION 1. Arkansas Code Title 12, Chapter 12, Subchapter 1, is
27 amended to add an additional section to read as follows:
28 12-12-112. Healthcare professional reporting battery in the second
29 degree.
30 A law enforcement agency shall allow a healthcare professional listed
31 under § 5-13-202(a)(4)(E) to list a work address in lieu of his or her home
32 address when filing a police report or complaint related to an incident that
33 meets the requirements of battery in the second degree under § 5-13-
34 202(a)(4)(E).
35
36 SECTION 2. Arkansas Code Title 20, Chapter 9, Subchapter 1, is amended
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 SB344
1 to add an additional section to read as follows:
2 20-9-105. Legislative findings — Notice of battery in second degree.
3 (a) The General Assembly finds that:
4 (1) The healthcare needs of the citizens of Arkansas are served
5 by over sixty-six thousand (66,000) licensed nurses in a wide array of
6 clinical settings and levels of criticality;
7 (2) Both national and state data present an upward trend in
8 violence and incivility against nurses and other healthcare professionals in
9 clinical settings;
10 (3) On average, two (2) nurses are attacked every hour
11 nationwide, with the Press Ganey National Database of Nursing Quality
12 Indicators showing more than five thousand two hundred (5,200) nurses were
13 attacked in the second quarter of 2022; and
14 (4) It is in the best interest of patients for healthcare
15 professionals, including nurses, to be able to perform their duties in a safe
16 and caring environment.
17 (b) A written notice of the felony status under § 5-13-202(a)(4)(E) of
18 attacking a healthcare professional, including a nurse, shall be posted:
19 (1) At entrances to a healthcare facility, emergency department,
20 clinic, or long-term care facility that are used by patients and visitors;
21 and
22 (2) In a patient waiting area of a healthcare facility,
23 emergency department, clinic, or long-term care facility.
24 (c)(1) The Arkansas Nurses Association shall provide the Department of
25 Health a digital poster design that shall be used by a healthcare facility.
26 (2) The text of the digital poster described under subdivision
27 (c)(1) of this section shall read: "We respect you. Please respect our staff.
28 Attacking a healthcare worker is a FELONY*. *Arkansas Code Annotated § 5-13-
29 202."
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32 APPROVED: 3/16/23
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