The bill H.259, introduced by Representative Cordes, mandates that hospitals in Vermont develop and implement a comprehensive security plan aimed at preventing workplace violence. This includes establishing a workplace violence incident reporting system to document and analyze incidents, ensuring that all hospital employees are trained on how to report such incidents. The security plan must involve a team composed of healthcare employees, representatives from local agencies, and law enforcement, and it should be based on a thorough security risk assessment. Additionally, the plan requires the presence of trained personnel in emergency and patient care areas, as well as guidelines for when law enforcement should remain with violent patients.

The bill also amends existing laws to ensure that costs associated with implementing the security plan are excluded from certain expenditure calculations and mandates that hospitals allocate sufficient funds in their budgets to support the security plan's operation. It emphasizes the importance of a safe work environment by prohibiting discrimination against employees who report incidents of workplace violence and requires hospitals to post notices about the consequences of aggressive behavior. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 18-9435, 18-9454, 18-9456