Vermont nurses press committee for statewide workplace-violence prevention law, seek CON exemptions

Nurses and advanced-practice clinicians told an unnamed legislative committee on Oct. 12 they want a statewide workplace-violence prevention law that sets minimum security, training and clinician-support standards and that removes barriers to rapid facility upgrades.

Liz Kudo, an emergency nurse of 17 years and director at large and governmental affairs committee chair for the Emergency Nurses Association, told the committee that workplace violence is driving nurses from the bedside. “I make more money bartending 2 days a week than I do as a full time nurse,” Kudo said, arguing that weak workplace protections and low effective compensation contribute to recruitment and retention problems. She described incidents and facility responses that were often retroactive to assaults, not preventive.

The nurses’ coalition, which includes ANA Vermont and the Vermont Nurse Practitioner Association, proposed a program that would require risk assessments and security plans for clinical areas, de-escalation and defensive training for staff, and post-incident clinician support. Betsy Hassan, ANA Vermont president and director of nursing education and professional development at the University of Vermont Medical Center, said the group reviewed an Ohio statute signed by Gov. Mike DeWine and planned to use that law as a template; Hassan said Ohio’s law is set to take effect in April 2025.

Hassan told the committee the proposal also seeks two state-level changes to speed implementation: an explicit exemption for workplace-violence facility upgrades (for example ballistic glass, secure doors and metal detectors) from the certificate-of-need process, and a “safe harbor” from certain Green Mountain Care Board budget constraints so hospitals can invest quickly. She said the coalition intends to pursue funding and grant options through the Agency of Human Services (AHS) and other partners to reduce the fiscal burden on individual facilities.

A committee member identified only as Logan said a bill representing the coalition’s work is currently with legislative counsel but has not yet been officially sponsored. “It doesn’t have an actual member yet,” Logan said, describing ongoing drafting and questions around the certificate-of-need exemptions.

Committee staff requested written materials; presenters said they had provided draft language to the committee assistant. Committee discussion included suggestions to route waiver and reimbursement questions through AHS and the Green Mountain Care Board rather than through the committee’s legislative process alone.

The presenters asked that nurses be included in drafting and implementation, saying bedside clinicians were not fully included in prior legislative work such as Act 24 and similar rulemaking. They cited a count of 16 states with workplace-violence statutes consistent with the Emergency Nurses Association recommendations and urged Vermont to adopt comparable protections to improve safety and retention.

The committee made no formal decision during the session; members asked the coalition to submit their draft language for follow-up and said legislative counsel is working on a draft bill that could be formally introduced later.