PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1309, WORKPLACE VIOLENCE PREVENTION FOR HEALTH CARE AND SOCIAL SERVICE WORKERS ACT; PROVIDING FOR PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PERIOD FROM NOVEMBER 22, 2019, THROUGH...
Mark DeSaulnier (Democrat, CA) \u2014 2019-11-20

. Madam , yesterday, the Rules Committee met and reported a structured rule, House Resolution 713, providing for consideration of H.R. 1309, the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act. The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by the chair and the ranking member of the Committee on Education and Labor, makes in order all 10 amendments submitted, and provides for a motion to recommit. It also provides standard recess instructions for next week's district work period. prgtoken Madam , there is an epidemic of violence against healthcare and social workers in the United States. Last year, Department of Labor statistics showed they were nearly five times as likely to suffer a serious workplace violence injury than workers in other industries. prgtoken The Government Accountability Office found that rates of violence against healthcare workers in hospitals, nursing homes, and residential care facilities are 5 to 12 times higher than the estimated rates for workers overall. Between 2011 and 2016, 58 hospital workers died as a result of workplace violence. prgtoken For me, this matter strikes close to home. In 2010, a Napa State Hospital technician in California, Donna Kay Gross, a constituent, was killed outside the State hospital by a patient under psychiatric care. Donna entered the profession to honor her mother, who battled mental illness and was a patient at that very hospital. She was the mother of three grown children and was raising her granddaughter. Her colleagues described her by saying: First and foremost, Donna was a human service- type person and loved being with people and working with people. prgtoken Donna's life was cut short when a patient brutally murdered her to steal jewelry and cash from her. prgtoken This story is just one of thousands of incidents that are on the rise. Sadly, violence has become so commonplace for healthcare workers that they think it is part of their job, resulting in only 30 percent of violent incidents being reported. prgtoken Some States have stepped up to enact laws to require employers to establish a plan to protect against workplace violence. Donna's story, for example, inspired action in California that I was proud to be a part of when I was chair of the senate labor committee. That action in California served as the basis for the bill before us today in the rule and tomorrow on the floor. prgtoken These workers deserve national action, and they deserve it now. At the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, these workers are not receiving the urgent attention they need. OSHA takes at least 7 years to put out a standard, but in some instances can take up to 20 years. prgtoken People like Donna Kay Gross cannot wait that long. To protect the people who dedicate their lives to caring for us, we need to move now. The longer we wait, the more people will suffer. prgtoken Madam , I reserve the balance of my ti