BILL NUMBER: S7327
SPONSOR: BROUK
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to granting
peace officer status to certain security officers employed by Highland
Hospital
 
PURPOSE:
To confer peace officer status on members of Highland Hospital security.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Grants peace officer, status to security officers of Highland
Hospital or its subsidiaries when such officers are acting within the
meets and bounds of Highland Hospital including campuses, facilities,
and any public street and sidewalk that abuts such; and also for the
purpose of transporting an individual who has been arrested and no local
law enforcement officer is available for transporting such individual in
a timely manner. Peace officers will also have power to detain an indi-
vidual for a reasonable period of time while awaiting the arrival of law
enforcement.
Section 2: Sets forth the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
The ongoing and escalating violence in and around hospitals in the U.S.
is a danger to hospital staff and visitors. Health care workers locally
and across the nation have experienced a sharp increase in incidences of
workplace violence, with no sign that this trend is receding. Health
care workers remain five times more likely than any other type of worker
to be physically attacked on the job, according to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics.
Highland Hospital is facing increasing incidences of violence, drug-re-
lated activities, and presence of weapons which pose significant chal-
lenges to maintaining a secure and safe environment for Highland Hospi-
tal staff, patients, and visitors. Violent Incidents with criminal
intent have increased 100% over the past 2 years at Highland Hospital.
Weapon Confiscation has increased dramatically over the last decade and
in 2024, there were 36 weapons confiscated in total at Highland Hospi-
tal.
Highland Hospital is now the only hospital in the City of Rochester
without peace officer status for its public safety officers. Peace offi-
cer status was granted to Rochester Regional Health in 2024 and to
Strong Memorial Hospital in 2017. Therefore, they are requesting this
legislation to better protect patients and staff amidst an increase in
workplace violence, and the threat of violence towards health care work-
ers.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

Statutes affected:
S7327: 2.10 criminal procedure law