I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5138 

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants 

to States to provide safety measures to social workers, health workers, 

and human services professionals performing services placing such individuals in high-risk and potentially dangerous situations, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 18, 2019 

Ms. BROWNLEY of California (for herself and Ms. STEFANIK) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 

Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for 

a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 

consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

to award grants to States to provide safety measures 

to social workers, health workers, and human services 

professionals performing services placing such individuals 

in high-risk and potentially dangerous situations, and 

for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
2 

•HR 5138 IH

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Social 

3 Workers and Health Professionals from Workplace Vio4 lence Act of 2019’’. 

5 SEC. 2. WORKPLACE SAFETY GRANT PROGRAM. 

6 (a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 

8 grants to States, Indian Tribes, Tribal organiza9 tions, and urban Indian organizations to provide 

10 safety measures to social workers, health workers, 

11 and human services professionals (as designated by 

12 the Secretary), performing services placing such in13 dividuals in high-risk and potentially dangerous situ14 ations. 

15 (2) CONSULTATION.—In awarding grants under 

16 this subsection, the Secretary may consult with the 

17 Secretary of Labor and the heads of other relevant 

18 Federal agencies. 

19 (b) USE OF FUNDS.—A grant awarded under sub20 section (a) may be used to provide or support the following 

21 safety measures: 

22 (1)(A) The procurement and installation of 

23 safety equipment, including communications or re24 cording systems, such as cell phones, wearable track25 ing devices with GPS/Bluetooth locator, or panic 

26 buttons, such as the equipment used for supervised 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
3 

•HR 5138 IH

1 foster care visits and other client visits, to assist 

2 agencies in ensuring staff safety. 

3 (B) Technical assistance and training for safety 

4 communications. 

5 (2) Training sessions and exercises for self-de6 fense and crisis management, provided together with 

7 such organizations as local law enforcement. 

8 (3) Facility safety improvements, such as bar9 rier protection and security cameras. 

10 (4) Training in cultural competency, including 

11 linguistic training, and training on strategies for de12 escalating conflict situations. 

13 (5) Training to help social workers, health 

14 workers, and human services professionals, work 

15 with clients who— 

16 (A) have serious mental and substance use 

17 disorders; or 

18 (B) have behavioral problems and need 

19 help coping. 

20 (6) Resources and materials to inform and edu21 cate staff on safety and awareness measures. 

22 (7) Support services, counseling, and additional 

23 resources for social workers, health workers, and 

24 human services professionals, who have experienced 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
4 

•HR 5138 IH

1 safety issues or trauma-related incidents in the 

2 workplace. 

3 (8) Installation of a local data incident tracking 

4 system to monitor, prevent, and mitigate violence 

5 against social workers, health workers, and human 

6 services professionals. 

7 (9) Other prevention and mitigation measures 

8 determined appropriate by the Secretary for safety 

9 training, resources, and support for social workers, 

10 health workers, and human services professionals. 

11 (c) APPLICATION.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—A State seeking a grant 

13 under subsection (a) shall submit an application to 

14 the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and ac15 companied by such additional information as the 

16 Secretary may require. 

17 (2) CONTENTS.—Each application submitted 

18 pursuant to paragraph (1) shall— 

19 (A) describe the type of agencies that will 

20 receive funding through the grant and type of 

21 work to be done by such agencies; 

22 (B) describe the specific activities for 

23 which the grant is sought and include a pro24 gram budget; and 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
5 

•HR 5138 IH

1 (C) contain an assurance that the appli2 cant will evaluate the effectiveness of the safety 

3 measures provided through the grant. 

4 (d) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under subsection 

5 (a), the Secretary shall give priority to applicants that— 

6 (1)(A) demonstrate the greatest need based on 

7 documented incidents of violence against social 

8 workers, health workers, and human services profes9 sionals; and 

10 (B) seek to provide assistance to multiple agen11 cies employing social workers, health workers, and 

12 human services professionals performing services 

13 placing such individuals in high-risk and potentially 

14 dangerous situations; or 

15 (2) seek to enhance existing efforts by the ap16 plicant (existing on the date on which the applicant 

17 submits the application) to improve the safety of so18 cial workers, health workers, and human services 

19 professionals. 

20 (e) QUALITY ASSURANCE AND COST EFFECTIVE21 NESS.—The Secretary shall establish guidelines for ensur22 ing the quality and cost effectiveness of the safety meas23 ures funded under this section. 

24 (f) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall 

25 provide technical assistance to recipients of a grant under 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
6 

•HR 5138 IH

1 this section with respect to planning, developing, imple2 menting, reporting, and sustaining safety measures 

3 through the grant. 

4 (g) REPORT REQUIREMENT.—Each State receiving a 

5 grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary, not 

6 later than 2 years after receiving such grant, a report that 

7 includes— 

8 (1) an assessment of the effectiveness of the ac9 tivities funded in whole or in part with funds award10 ed through the grant; 

11 (2) the range and scope of training opportuni12 ties provided through training programs funded in 

13 whole or in part with such funds, including the num14 bers and percentages of social workers, health work15 ers, and human services professionals, engaged in 

16 such training programs; and 

17 (3) the incidence of threats to social workers, 

18 health workers, and human services professionals, if 

19 any, and the strategies used to address their safety. 

20 (h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

21 (1) The term ‘‘health worker’’ includes— 

22 (A) a Community Health Representative 

23 that has completed training under the Commu24 nity Health Representative Program of the In25 dian Health Service under section 107 of the 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
7 

•HR 5138 IH

1 Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 

2 U.S.C. 1616); 

3 (B) a health aide or community health 

4 practitioner certified under the Community 

5 Health Aide Program of the Indian Health 

6 Service under section 119 of that Act (25 

7 U.S.C. 1616l); and 

8 (C) other behavioral health aides and men9 tal health aides. 

10 (2) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

11 of Health and Human Services. 

12 (3) The term ‘‘social work’’ means— 

13 (A) the applied science of helping individ14 uals, groups, or communities to enhance or re15 store capacity for social and psychosocial func16 tioning, and effecting societal changes favorable 

17 to such enhancement or restoration for all peo18 ple; and 

19 (B) the professional application of social 

20 work values, principles, and techniques related 

21 to the activities described in subparagraph (A), 

22 including— 

23 (i) diagnosing mental and emotional 

24 disorders and providing counseling and 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS
8 

•HR 5138 IH

1 psychotherapy services to individuals, fami2 lies, or groups for such disorders; and 

3 (ii) helping individuals, families, or 

4 groups to obtain tangible services, includ5 ing personal, protective, informational, ad6 visory, community, housing, education, 

7 health, and mental health services in order 

8 to improve the overall well-being of individ9 uals. 

10 (4) The term ‘‘social worker’’ means an indi11 vidual, with a baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral 

12 degree in social work from an institution of higher 

13 education, who uses knowledge and skills to provide 

14 social work services for individuals, families, groups, 

15 communities, organizations, or society in general. 

16 (5) The term ‘‘urban Indian organization’’ has 

17 the meaning given such term in section 4 of the In18 dian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 

19 1603). 

20 (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

21 out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 

22 $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS