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Prosecutors and health workers back enhanced penalties for violence in hospitals and places of worship
Summary
House Bill 13‑08 would create an enhanced felony for violent offenses committed in medical facilities and places of worship, prosecutors and health‑care leaders told the committee.
Delegate Austin introduced House Bill 13‑08, the "Sacred Places Act," which would create an enhanced criminal penalty for violent offenses committed in certain designated locations, including medical facilities and places of worship.
Sponsor rationale and examples: the sponsor said violence at funerals, hospitals and religious services has escalated and described the bill as responding to attacks that violate sanctity and safety when people are most vulnerable. "When someone violates the sanctity of those places, I believe they need to be punished," the sponsor said, citing cases of funeral‑related reprisals and shootings that interrupted mourning.
Support from law‑enforcement and health care: Prince George's County Deputy State's Attorney Perry Paylor and other prosecutors urged a favorable report, describing a recent conviction tied to a fatal shooting at a funeral and arguing the enhanced penalty would deter attacks on worshippers and patients. Dozens of clinicians and hospital safety leaders testified that assaults on health‑care workers are routine and that such violence exacerbates staffing shortages, increases missed workdays and worsens emergency department wait times.
Clinical testimony: emergency physicians and nurses recounted assaults, threats, and incidents involving weapons, and described the emotional and workforce consequences. Representatives from Holy Cross Health and the Maryland Hospital Association asked the committee to support the bill and continue exploring additional workforce safety measures.
Questions and protections: witnesses and committee members discussed disabilities and mental‑health defenses; prosecutors said existing criminal‑responsibility frameworks and competency determinations would apply and that the enhanced penalty targets intentional violent conduct rather than involuntary acts.
The transcript records no committee vote; sponsors and health‑care stakeholders urged passage as part of a broader effort to protect hospitals and houses of worship.
