[{"_1":2,"_121":-5,"_122":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,87,97,109],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6083057,"mediaKeyId","2935422-fe88bf3955469a87828681a488ea11c7","parentId",2935422,"title","Mass. hearing spotlights S.1718 to require hospitals to adopt workplace-violence prevention programs","audioSeconds",1891,"startMs",186000,"endMs",2077000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2935422-fe88bf3955469a87828681a488ea11c7&start=186&end=2077","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2935422-fe88bf3955469a87828681a488ea11c7/thumbnail_186000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6083057/Massachusetts/Mass-hearing-spotlights-S1718-to-require-hospitals-to-adopt-workplace-violence-prevention-programs","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6083057-03052d42a3d76b4930830b5aad2ef143/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171182&Signature=AV2YuGLfT0b7gI2q3ufKNd0oSpY8UquFEsrttg5lxnvLkOayZEnSRsMXSgEESsayfASOoWgBjielqDfh40oA1-N6RPxkZpWPRFBEG6rVreKzTI2EPX~mtwwuzbE1Sq2VhkXQvmcpHklGBj-W~keZ37GZOBAWoNXV7vPtb903vwhMcIidCnOLP183ljcx-cX1Ya4KQwE7X8Dok0rR7U-6HTI5Ni-Pzquaz1FVgZPSkjd4DX9gezMMLis37jsXRq3tTNTxVM9FA5xmqEkVBxzg1iZPzqbUK8oWOH6gWJVFxn~kVsZDaesVQCk1m8RD8ylya5bLPlA09ulehLTcRdXF9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Massachusetts Legislature","date","2025-04-09T00:00:00Z","article","Senators and witnesses told the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security that violent assaults on hospital staff have risen and urged passage of S.1718, which would require hospitals to develop facility-specific risk assessments and comprehensive workplace-violence prevention programs.

Supporters said the bill combines prevention, reporting and enforcement elements crafted with labor and employers. Steve Walsh, president of the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, told the committee: “What happens every 36 minutes in a Massachusetts hospital? … It's the assault of 1 of our workers every 36 minutes.”

The bill would require employers to engage the workforce in assessments and training, create regular reporting, and strengthen enforcement tied to Department of Public Health licensing. The legislation also includes job protections and additional paid leave for workers who are assaulted and must attend legal proceedings. Julie Pinkham, executive director of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, described the bill as “built around prevention, transparency, and accountability.”

Union leaders said they helped negotiate the compromise now before the committee. Carrie Medina, vice president of the community care team at SEIU 1199, said the bill “appropriately mandates that facility employers include worker input in developing a facility specific risk assessment” and that worker participation in designing prevention measures is essential to success.

Committee members pressed witnesses on avoiding the inadvertent criminalization of people in behavioral-health crises. Walsh and other witnesses said the bill attempts to bifurcate responses: protecting workers’ rights to care and time off after harm while ensuring that patients experiencing a behavioral-health episode are not automatically treated as criminal actors. Walsh said the sponsors were “very clear that a person that is in the middle of a behavioral diagnosis cannot formulate the intent necessary to commit a crime.” Dr. Melissa Leibach, chief of emergency medicine for Mass General Brigham’s seven community hospitals, urged stronger penalties for attacks on clinicians, telling the committee such incidents often leave staff traumatized and perpetrators discharged: “a misdemeanor means no warrantless arrest, no departure in police custody, especially when warranted.”

Witnesses representing hospitals, nurses and unions told the committee they negotiated language across sessions and that the current draft reflects those compromises. Testimony emphasized annual assessments to keep prevention measures current and that programs must be flexible to reflect differences between urban medical centers and smaller community hospitals.

Committee members and witnesses encouraged additional coordination with district attorneys and law-enforcement partners on implementation and enforcement protocols. No formal committee action or vote was recorded during the hearing.

S.1718 remains before the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security for further consideration; supporters asked that it be reported out favorably so legislative action can continue.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security - 4-9-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Senators and witnesses told the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security that violent assaults on hospital staff have risen and urged passage of S.1718, which would require hospitals to develop facility-specific risk assessments and comprehensive workplace-violence prevention programs.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MA, Massachusetts","taxId",77682,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6083037,"MOSES asks lawmakers to restore forensic‑scientist representation on Forensic Science Oversight Board",0,7348000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2935422-fe88bf3955469a87828681a488ea11c7&start=7348&end=7348","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2935422-fe88bf3955469a87828681a488ea11c7/thumbnail_7348000.jpg","/articles/6083037/Massachusetts/MOSES-asks-lawmakers-to-restore-forensicscientist-representation-on-Forensic-Science-Oversight-Board","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6083037-71358bc1d45fd85fcde42ba6dedc257c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171182&Signature=lUoi7dDyQoPMtREvJHVGruApHgCa3FwAbl5GmC7nfd2mT-BC9nWFaU~lP2OdrRa0NCF58rsisgeuwwFfaVr39iyhSRhrbXrmuUJ4zyHx0a3rbm2NWXPGhmqkx2RGgVxIr8xCRTk6cNmCz1P0uPh0Ly970LBS6IFjzRRL4luw1PsXhawHjqKRnYZzZ~1YYFu40uq~-4GB9rp7ZIx0AUjSRQJqPr6LWSV4UwRS-OkWrju7LjJyPilA0bJma-doYc0aLjW-euxYZLlS1BsaU6Q7DsFM3RECrRE~zDOjzmQbJCgmMeWEO2PeA96EVHm2axfdTy9Pxc2eE~uTa4~xCF~lJw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Joe Duran, legislative chair of the Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers and Scientists (MOSES), urged the Joint Committee to report H.B.2660 favorably. The bill would restore workforce representation on the Forensic Science Oversight Board by adding seats for a MOSES representative and a Boston Police crime‑scene unit representative.

Duran said the board — which advises the secretary of public safety on forensic‑science matters, accreditation, training and funding — lost direct employee representation after the criminal‑justice reform law enacted in 2018 reorganized oversight. “Advice to the secretary on these topics without the input of representatives of those who perform these functions would significantly limit the secretary's ability to make sound and informed decisions,” he said.

MOSES represents roughly 4,000 state scientists and engineers across 30 agencies, including forensic scientists who collect evidence, test samples and testify in court, Duran said. He asked the committee to return practical laboratory and field experience to the board so policymakers benefit from the perspective of practitioners.

The committee did not take a vote during the hearing.","The Massachusetts Organization of State Engineers and Scientists (MOSES) asked the committee to amend H.B.2660 to return employee representation to the Forensic Science Oversight Board, arguing scientific expertise was removed when the board was reorganized following the 2018 criminal‑justice reform law.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":79,"_43":90,"_45":90,"_47":91,"_49":92,"_51":93,"_53":94,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":95,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":96,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6083042,"Panel urges primary seat‑belt law, rear‑facing child‑seat rule and lap‑shoulder belts on new large school buses",2787000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2935422-fe88bf3955469a87828681a488ea11c7&start=2787&end=2787","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2935422-fe88bf3955469a87828681a488ea11c7/thumbnail_2787000.jpg","/articles/6083042/Massachusetts/Panel-urges-primary-seatbelt-law-rearfacing-childseat-rule-and-lapshoulder-belts-on-new-large-school-buses","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6083042-8703a4e8541f7ba7548d5121cd0761d9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171182&Signature=K86-GCuXegI2xgFJckjreT9AyJXKxph9gP8ImYWnvlwonL6B2XM99UWYVA0zCcWOv-g02st4NEJYBoN4NLq1gutfaomM0Umyi-mJCO-G1RhML~c8Jo6Qr-zzpStwNE~TW12v8zOH-dzNX1xZ860zQhIRG6PiqgviAWgYQZUOa6na-WqpsngbGsGK9J5KlcGDUsDtV0otVW2tCgFs3bWF4BN9aGSSocRG-nJtYSdSLMgzo-oYPk-GroC9X6aYp88KgP8Fl8QjiX7kl9tgAbHgdusJg3J65WKoTuNgyB6eIK~OSHyKE9FI84OmsNweG65fcaJ2GKUfk2mdEREYqw1YaQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Advocates, safety organizations and state and national experts urged the Joint Committee to advance a package of traffic‑safety measures: primary enforcement for seat‑belt violations, a rear‑facing car‑seat requirement for children under 2, and lap‑shoulder belts on new large school buses.

Christina Hayman of AAA Northeast told the committee: “seat belt use rate in Massachusetts is 80 percent while the national average is 91 percent,” and argued both primary enforcement and the rear‑facing car‑seat bill would save lives. Hayman said rear‑facing car seats “are safer because they are designed to distribute the forces of a crash across the entire head and body of an infant or young child.”

Kelly Buttilleri of the Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts gave a personal account of a head injury suffered in an unbelted crash and urged the committee to use collected seat‑belt fines to support the Head Injury Treatment Services Trust Fund. “I was in a coma for 4 days,” she said, describing the long rehabilitation that followed and the ongoing services the trust fund supports.

Jeff Larson, who has worked in traffic safety for decades, reviewed data showing that states with primary seat‑belt laws have higher usage rates and lower occupant fatalities. Massachusetts’ seat‑belt usage has lagged national averages, he said, and making enforcement primary would change behavior and save lives.

The Mass. Insurance Federation expressed support, citing rising roadway fatalities and insurer claim data showing increasing bodily injury costs and frequency in Massachusetts since 2019.

On school buses, Senator O'Connor and NTSB Transportation Safety Specialist Sofia Fierzada urged the panel to require lap‑shoulder belts on newly manufactured large school buses. Fierzada said compartmentalization does not protect students in rollovers, side impacts or intrusions and that “properly worn passenger lap shoulder belts would have lessened injuries and saved lives.” The NTSB also supports primary seat‑belt enforcement and rear‑facing car‑seat best practices.

Witnesses and legislators discussed implementation questions — including grandfathering older buses, potential costs to districts, and interactions with hands‑free driving laws — but no fiscal analyses were offered at the hearing and the committee took no formal vote.","Advocates, insurers and safety experts testified in favor of multiple related bills: primary enforcement of seat‑belt laws, a rear‑facing requirement for children under age 2, and a mandate for lap‑shoulder belts on new large school buses. Testimony combined personal stories, national research and NTSB recommendations.",{"_33":98,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":99,"_41":100,"_43":101,"_45":102,"_47":103,"_49":104,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6083047,"Witness urges changes to 9‑1‑1 disability‑indicator form to include mental‑health and language access",204,2524000,2728000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2935422-fe88bf3955469a87828681a488ea11c7&start=2524&end=2728","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2935422-fe88bf3955469a87828681a488ea11c7/thumbnail_2524000.jpg","/articles/6083047/Massachusetts/Witness-urges-changes-to-911-disabilityindicator-form-to-include-mentalhealth-and-language-access","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6083047-35e8a6f55980ea7fa63dbb77b19ea13e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171182&Signature=FeWpoRlPeScBerCnNdevzYt8oBa9Rhr~-2W2MxjOs929xwQRnxU7Zrca1KpEDvQOxNkSALN-G-3GjgmuhKXbrk35xYH2nzHzkz23c-y82XsxUhBDhb9rCbPvaRps0HVasaxOhL1rYLAXOBMwC2ogWYkXX-oMpXZiRvIhn4J8Stegy092P~Ri2BRbrBoGy2tew8VJCUbQ4mrZOJ46M7ITR1dKCzuCombyc~dVJQhAa83pExw9dJMraatmxs3h16t07BiQiB-V8I2eu1ZP6iTMSr12onK1WH2nzKUSt7dq9OLwpukfAX5XVbLTxfBGTf0tG6bmnDMVs1mO6-Ma-ZLwVA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Carrie Knowworthy, a veteran and family caregiver, told the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security that the statewide 9‑1‑1 disability‑indicator form should be revised to better serve people with mental‑health, developmental and complex medical needs and to improve outcomes for first responders.

“The goal of this bill is to increase the safety and improve outcomes for persons with disabilities to include mental health, which is, believe it or not, not on the form right now,” Knowworthy said. She said the form should be accessible at a fifth‑grade reading level, address language‑access needs and allow families and caregivers to indicate relevant behaviors and conditions that would help first responders de‑escalate and respond appropriately.

Knowworthy told lawmakers the infrastructure already exists and that the form is available online, but that the content does not reflect the needs she and families have identified through lived experience. She called for stakeholder input prior to release if the bill passes and urged the committee to report the measure out of committee.

No fiscal estimates or formal votes were recorded during the hearing.","Advocates told the committee H.B.2633 would make Massachusetts’ 9‑1‑1 disability‑indicator form more useful by including mental‑health indicators, simplifying language to a fifth‑grade level and adding input from affected families and disability advocates.",{"_33":110,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":111,"_41":112,"_43":113,"_45":114,"_47":115,"_49":116,"_51":117,"_53":118,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":119,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":120,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6083052,"Weston parks director urges pause on bill to extend Christian’s Law to swimming pools, citing equity and practicality concerns",168,2152000,2320000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2935422-fe88bf3955469a87828681a488ea11c7&start=2152&end=2320","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2935422-fe88bf3955469a87828681a488ea11c7/thumbnail_2152000.jpg","/articles/6083052/Massachusetts/Weston-parks-director-urges-pause-on-bill-to-extend-Christians-Law-to-swimming-pools-citing-equity-and-practicality-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6083052-fab3082a8c76ad54c9b66b17b9fa4abf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771171182&Signature=AN14FQT2h6FDoU5ZJNygw3GiwbBIuQVmF2WkWoMIDjZkB7~jFN~FDk6w5g8wKp7p-VqIAN4ed5ElJG6EixL9bgluQFlD9gH-j4hGr3B5HBmCHFFWx3VQGvYZHxUiiCBsrGadFyGNUPeeBpkrdjFojZhCLfLITptKYgsLvOBTkLo7Py7rkbnhlXyJmCO-3gIjLdEIFj8xCg4HVnXxkcrEeDRayH48Mwj-9fZrYFEYqTOkvQ7N4vfiajvCGqIHKdVvXKaYFr09-cvaFi8Mpr0EIb2Nm5tcmBdoTFjwcwyNM85zehoAUqsS4zaeKv6pXeHhtEx-XrBaOlJQHFdV5FLeBQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sharon Loch, director of the Town of Weston’s Recreation Department, told the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security that H.B. 2,731’s proposed change to Christian’s Law — removing an exclusion that now applies to swimming pools — should be paused for further study.

“Pools are very different than open bodies of water,” Loch said, citing pool clarity, visible depth markers, signage and state regulation of lifeguards and pool safety. She said Christian’s Law was originally written for natural bodies of water such as ponds, lakes and oceans, and that applying identical life‑jacket rules to swimming pools could produce unintended consequences for municipal and day‑camp programming.

Loch warned that some municipalities and camps already stopped visiting ponds and oceans after prior restrictions took effect and said an extension to pools could lead to fewer pool outings if towns are unwilling or unable to assume the logistical and financial burden of fitting and providing life jackets. That, she argued, could deprive children — particularly in underserved communities — of swim-lesson opportunities offered at pools.

The Massachusetts Park and Recreation Association has not taken a position, Loch said; when the original Christian’s Law was passed, the association opposed it on equity grounds. During committee questioning, Loch said she did not have precise cost estimates for municipalities or camps on hand. The committee did not take formal action.

Loch requested that if lawmakers decide to revise the law they consider a pool‑specific statute drafted with input from aquatic and water‑safety professionals to avoid unintended access and equity impacts.","Sharon Loch, Weston’s recreational director, told the Joint Committee the Christian’s Law amendment in H.B. 2,731 — which would remove pools from an existing exclusion — risks unintended consequences for municipal and camp programs and could reduce pool access for underserved children.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Mass. hearing spotlights S.1718 to require hospitals to adopt workplace-violence prevention programs

MOSES asks lawmakers to restore forensic‑scientist representation on Forensic Science Oversight Board

Panel urges primary seat‑belt law, rear‑facing child‑seat rule and lap‑shoulder belts on new large school buses

Witness urges changes to 9‑1‑1 disability‑indicator form to include mental‑health and language access

Weston parks director urges pause on bill to extend Christian’s Law to swimming pools, citing equity and practicality concerns