State Sen. Weaver, State Rep. Roe: SQ805 would endanger Oklahoma healthcare workers

The following press release is from Oklahomans United Against 805:

Safety of Oklahoma Healthcare Workers Threatened by SQ 805 

Oklahoma hospitals report between 5 to 10 assaults on workers every day

 
Oklahoma City — SQ 805, the effort to reduce incarceration by lessening penalties on habitual offenders, has come under fire from those who have worked to protect Oklahoma’s front-line health care workers. 

“It is unconscionable, especially during this time of Covid, that any group would seek to lessen punishment for those who attack our healthcare workers,” stated Darrell Weaver, the state senator who authored SB 1290 to increase the range of punishment for those assaulting medical professionals in the line of duty.  

SQ 805 would restrict the ability of judges and juries to extend harsher penalties on habitual criminals, such as those who attack health care workers.  SQ 805 uses Title 57, Section 571 as it existed on January 1, 2020, to define the difference between violent and non-violent felonies.  Assault on a medical professional is not on that list.  

“We have worked for years to extend the protections to our nurses,” Weaver continued.  “SQ 805 is a substantial step backwards.  It will prohibit the use of prior felony convictions to extend the punishment of those attacking the very folks we depend on.  SQ 805 will forever enshrine in our constitution that such attacks are quote, non-violent, un-quote,” Weaver added.  

State Senate approves legislation to address workplace violence in hospitals/health care facilities

Full Senate approves legislation to address workplace violence in hospitals/health care facilities

 (March 5th, Oklahoma City) The full Senate voted in favor of legislation strengthening laws dealing with violence against people who work in hospitals and health care facilities.  Senate Bill 1290, the Medical Care Provider Protection Act, by Sen. Darrell Weaver, was approved on Thursday and now moves to the House of Representatives.

Weaver, R-Moore, said nearly 75 percent of all workplace assaults occur in health care with one in four nurses reporting they’d experienced some kind of workplace violence—that’s more than three times higher than all other occupations. He said the goal of SB 1290 is to better protect Oklahoma health care workers.

“In Oklahoma City hospitals alone, there are between five and 10 assaults reported every single day.  Attacks on health care workers can result in significant injuries, missed work, PTSD and lower productivity,” Weaver said.  “It can also be deadly.  Nationwide, at least 58 hospital workers died in 2014 as a result of reported violence in the workplace.  It’s clear we need to strengthen our laws to better protect health care workers, raise awareness and increase accountability.”

Provisions included in SB 1290 would:

• Raise awareness through uniformed signage in medical settings, which will read:  WARNING:  ASSAULTING A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL WHO IS ENGAGED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS OR HER OFFICIAL DUTIES IS A SERIOUS CRIME.
• Require the annual reporting of all assaults on health care workers to the State Health Department. The data would be nonidentifiable.
• Create an inclusive listing of specific health care workers that the bill covers.
• Increase the penalty for aggravated assault and battery on a medical care provider from the current range of up to one year to a minimum of two years and a maximum of five.

“SB 1290 will make sure all health care workers are covered by protections related to assaults, whether they’re an ER doctor or nurse, a physical therapist, or even a chaplain. The bill also corrects a disparity in current law to ensure appropriate penalties for these attacks,” Weaver said.  “I appreciate the Senate’s support on this measure and look forward to working with my House author, Representative Cynthia Roe, to get this bill all the way to the governor’s desk.”