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Committee hears bill to require workplace-violence prevention in hospitals, home health and the state hospital; dash-4 amendment in progress
Summary
Senate Bill 537 would require new workplace-violence prevention measures in hospitals, home health and certain state behavioral-health settings, direct rulemaking to DCBS, and require employer training, reporting and staff supports; the Rules Committee heard extensive public testimony on April 23.
Senate Bill 537 drew extensive testimony in the Rules Committee on April 23. The bill — and a dash-3 amendment posted on OLIS — would create workplace-violence prevention requirements in health-care settings, require DCBS to track workplace-violence incidents, require annual training and safety committees, and specify protections for health-care workers assaulted on the job. Committee staff and witnesses said a dash-4 amendment was expected; sponsors described the dash-4 as narrowing and tailoring several provisions in response to stakeholder concerns.
Representative Travis Nelson, sponsor for the House, outlined the bill’s five pillars: statutory definition of workplace violence (including threats and verbal attacks), prevention in hospitals, prevention in home health and hospice, improved employer response (including paid time off for staff unable to finish a shift because of an incident), and better reporting to inform future policymaking.
Union representatives from the Oregon Nurses Association (ONA), SEIU, AFSCME and the Emergency Nurses Association testified in support, offering frontline accounts of verbal and physical assaults, injuries and resulting turnover. ONA cited survey results from members showing high levels of verbal and physical abuse in emergency departments and home health settings; SEIU and AFSCME described members who have suffered repeated assaults and long-term injuries.
Supporters said the posted dash-3 addressed many concerns and that the forthcoming dash-4 would further refine the bill. Changes described by proponents and staff included: removing a grant program at the hospitals’ request; adjusting required timing so some provisions take effect Jan. 1, 2026; replacing "bulletproof" glass language with more cost-effective "shatter-resistant" barriers for emergency-department intake windows; and narrowing safety-committee membership requirements to address management and union representation questions.
The Hospital Association of Oregon testified in opposition to the bill as posted and the dash-3, saying the measure imposes substantial new costs on hospitals already operating under staffing and financial strains. Hospital representatives said they support worker safety goals but urged more collaboration on operational details and timing. Hospital witnesses asked for additional tailoring and noted that Oregon State Hospital operates in a different clinical and security environment than acute-care hospitals; proponents said the dash-4 would include targeted modifications for the state hospital to avoid duplicative reporting and to tailor definitions to that clinical population.
Why this matters: Multiple witnesses described workplace violence as a major contributor to workforce injury and turnover in health care. Supporters argued that clearer, uniform requirements for prevention, training, reporting and staff support could improve retention and patient and worker safety; hospital providers urged caution on implementation costs and timing.
What happened: The committee took public testimony and closed the hearing. Sponsors and advocates asked Rules to consider the forthcoming dash-4 amendment in a work session so the committee could consider revised language.
