II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4412 

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

to States, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations 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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 15, 2022 

Ms. SINEMA (for herself and Ms. MURKOWSKI) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

to award grants to States, Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations 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, 


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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’’. 

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 


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1 foster care visits and other client visits, to assist en2 tities employing social workers, health workers, and 

3 human services professionals described in subsection 

4 (a) in ensuring staff safety. 

5 (B) Technical assistance and training for safety 

6 communications. 

7 (2) Training sessions and exercises for self-de8 fense and crisis management, provided together with 

9 such organizations as local law enforcement. 

10 (3) Facility safety improvements, such as bar11 rier protection and security cameras. 

12 (4) Training in cultural competency, including 

13 linguistic training, and training on strategies for de14 escalating conflict situations. 

15 (5) Training to help social workers, health 

16 workers, and human services professionals work with 

17 clients who— 

18 (A) have serious mental and substance use 

19 disorders; or 

20 (B) have behavioral problems and need 

21 help coping. 

22 (6) Resources and materials to inform and edu23 cate staff on safety and awareness measures. 

24 (7) Support services, counseling, and additional 

25 resources for social workers, health workers, and 


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1 human services professionals, who have experienced 

2 safety issues or trauma-related incidents in the 

3 workplace. 

4 (8) Installation of a local data incident tracking 

5 system to monitor, prevent, and mitigate violence 

6 against social workers, health workers, and human 

7 services professionals. 

8 (9) Other prevention and mitigation measures 

9 determined appropriate by the Secretary for safety 

10 training, resources, and support for social workers, 

11 health workers, and human services professionals. 

12 (c) APPLICATION.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—A State, Indian Tribe, Trib14 al organization, or urban Indian organization seek15 ing a grant under subsection (a) shall submit an ap16 plication to the Secretary at such time, in such man17 ner, and accompanied by such additional information 

18 as the Secretary may require. 

19 (2) CONTENTS.—Each application submitted 

20 pursuant to paragraph (1) shall— 

21 (A) describe the type of entities that will 

22 receive funding through the grant and type of 

23 work to be done by such entities; 


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1 (B) describe the specific activities for 

2 which the grant is sought and include a pro3 gram budget; and 

4 (C) contain an assurance that the appli5 cant will evaluate the effectiveness of the safety 

6 measures provided through the grant. 

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

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

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

10 documented incidents of violence against social 

11 workers, health workers, and human services profes12 sionals; and 

13 (B) seek to provide assistance to multiple enti14 ties employing social workers, health workers, and 

15 human services professionals performing services 

16 placing such individuals in high-risk and potentially 

17 dangerous situations; or 

18 (2) seek to enhance existing efforts by the ap19 plicant (existing on the date on which the applicant 

20 submits the application) to improve the safety of so21 cial workers, health workers, and human services 

22 professionals. 

23 (e) QUALITY ASSURANCE AND COST EFFECTIVE24 NESS.—The Secretary shall establish guidelines for ensurVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:53 Jun 17, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4412.IS S4412

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1 ing the quality and cost effectiveness of the safety meas2 ures funded under this section. 

3 (f) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary shall 

4 provide technical assistance to recipients of a grant under 

5 this section with respect to planning, developing, imple6 menting, reporting, and sustaining safety measures 

7 through the grant. 

8 (g) REPORT REQUIREMENT.—Each State, Indian 

9 Tribe, Tribal organization, or urban Indian organization 

10 receiving a grant under this section shall submit to the 

11 Secretary, not later than 2 years after receiving such 

12 grant, a report that includes— 

13 (1) an assessment of the effectiveness of the ac14 tivities funded in whole or in part with funds award15 ed through the grant; 

16 (2) the range and scope of training opportuni17 ties provided through training programs funded in 

18 whole or in part with such funds, including the num19 bers and percentages of social workers, health work20 ers, and human services professionals, engaged in 

21 such training programs; and 

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

23 health workers, and human services professionals, if 

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

25 (h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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

2 (A) a Community Health Representative 

3 that has completed training under the Commu4 nity Health Representative Program of the In5 dian Health Service under section 107 of the 

6 Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 

7 U.S.C. 1616); 

8 (B) a health aide or community health 

9 practitioner certified under the Community 

10 Health Aide Program of the Indian Health 

11 Service under section 119 of that Act (25 

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

13 (C) other behavioral health aides and men14 tal health aides. 

15 (2) The terms ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ and ‘‘Tribal or16 ganization’’ have the meanings given such terms in 

17 section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu18 cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 

19 (3) The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

20 of Health and Human Services. 

21 (4) The term ‘‘social work’’ means— 

22 (A) the applied science of helping individ23 uals, groups, or communities to enhance or re24 store capacity for social and psychosocial func25 tioning, and effecting societal changes favorable 


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1 to such enhancement or restoration for all peo2 ple; and 

3 (B) the professional application of social 

4 work values, principles, and techniques related 

5 to the activities described in subparagraph (A), 

6 including— 

7 (i) diagnosing mental and emotional 

8 disorders and providing counseling and 

9 psychotherapy services to individuals, fami10 lies, or groups for such disorders; and 

11 (ii) helping individuals, families, or 

12 groups to obtain tangible services, includ13 ing personal, protective, informational, ad14 visory, community, housing, education, 

15 health, and mental health services in order 

16 to improve the overall well-being of individ17 uals. 

18 (5) The term ‘‘social worker’’ means an indi19 vidual, with a baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral 

20 degree in social work from an institution of higher 

21 education, who uses knowledge and skills to provide 

22 social work services for individuals, families, groups, 

23 communities, organizations, or society in general. 

24 (6) The term ‘‘urban Indian organization’’ has 

25 the meaning given such term in section 4 of the InVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:53 Jun 17, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4412.IS S4412

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1 dian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 

2 1603). 

3 (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

4 out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 

5 $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027. 

Æ 


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