Fact Sheet: Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act
HAP supports the SAVE Act and urges all members of Pennsylvania’s congressional delegation to become cosponsors
THE ISSUE
Health care workers aren’t protected by federal law from violence and intimidation. Yet many face the risk of violence every day.
We all feel the effects. Medical professionals cannot provide attentive patient care when they are afraid for their personal safety or traumatized. Staff who have experienced violence are more likely to leave, worsening the national shortage of providers.
THE SAVE ACT
The bipartisan SAVE Act (H.R. 2584/S. 2768) is modeled after federal protections for airline workers. It would:
- Establish federal criminal penalties for knowingly assaulting or intimidating hospital employees, with exceptions for individuals who may be mentally incapacitated due to illness or substance use.
- Authorize grant funding for initiatives to improve hospital employee safety. (H.R. 2584)
The SAVE Act is one step towards ensuring that health care is no place for violence and giving hard-working professionals the protections they deserve.
We can all do more to keep them safe.
It’s a felony in Pennsylvania to assault an on-duty health care worker. Even so, violence against health care workers is on the rise.
The SAVE Act would add the strong teeth of federal enforcement to protect those who care for our health.
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Topics: Federal Advocacy, Workforce
Revision Date: 5/16/2024
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