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Committee advances Healthcare Workplace Violence Prevention Act after debate over enforcement and impact
Summary
House Bill 926 would require health-care facilities to form workplace-violence prevention committees, create prevention plans, protect reporters from retaliation and give the Department of Labor and Industry enforcement powers; an amendment to expand record retention failed and the bill passed on a recorded vote.
The House Labor & Industry Committee on March 25 reported House Bill 926 out of committee after debate over whether the measure would prevent high-profile attacks and discussion of the Department of Labor and Industry's enforcement powers.
Sponsor Representative Krueger framed the bill as Pennsylvania's first healthcare workplace-violence prevention statute and cited recent incidents in the state, including the Feb. 22, 2025, shooting at UPMC Memorial Hospital in York and a June attack on an EMT at Crozer Chester Medical Center. "These are only 2 of the many stories that are before us today," Krueger said, and she cited federal statistics and a 2024 member survey showing rising reports of workplace violence.
House Bill 926 would require health facilities to establish violence-prevention committees, develop written prevention plans, protect employees from retaliation for reporting incidents and give the Department of Labor and Industry enforcement authority, including inspection and subpoena powers, as described in committee testimony.
Representative Grove offered amendment A00210 to expand required records to include emails and internal communications and to increase retention from three to five years. Grove said the amendment "aligns with the governor's administration on policy on record retention" and cited prior concerns about deleted emails. Committee debate produced mixed reactions: proponents said the bill gives frontline workers a voice and tools to reduce workplace risk, while opponents said committees and reporting requirements would not have prevented the York shooting and warned the measure could add burdens and paperwork to facilities.
The committee voted on amendment A00210 by roll call; recorded yes votes included Grove, Anderson, Burger (designation), Bernstein (designation), Cooper, D'Orsay, Ecker (designation), Fink, Gleim, Jones, Reichert and Rossi. The amendment failed and did not become part of the bill.
On final passage, the committee recorded yes votes from Dawkins; Brennan; Donahue; Jeroll; Green; Haddock; Kincaid; Kojewski; Mursky (by designation); Miller; O'Meara; Scott (by designation); Siegel (by designation); Young (by designation); and Anderson. Recorded no votes included Grove; Barger (designation); Bernstein (designation); Cooper; D'Orsay; Ecker (designation); Fink; Gleim; Jones; Reichard; and Rossi. The chair announced, "The bill passes." The committee reported House Bill 926 as committed.
Supporters said the bill would standardize prevention steps, require risk assessment with frontline staff participation and protect employees who report incidents. Detractors questioned whether the statutory requirements would have prevented rare, unpredictable violent acts and raised concerns about administrative burden and the scope of inspection and subpoena authority given to a state agency.
The bill will proceed through the legislative process; committee testimony did not include an implementation timetable or a fiscal estimate for compliance or enforcement costs.
