Remarks of Senate President Karen Spilka Announcing New Legislation to Prohibit Violence Against Massachusetts Health Care Workers

As prepared for delivery

Good morning!

I am proud to welcome you to the State House today to discuss a very important topic: protecting our frontline healthcare workers from workplace violence.

I would like to start by thanking my colleagues in the Senate, particularly Senator Joan Lovely for sponsoring the bill we are releasing today, Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues and his team for preparing this bill to be debated in the Senate, and Senate Healthcare Financing Chair Cindy Friedman for lending her expertise on this bill.

I’d also like to thank our allies in this fight: the Massachusetts Nurses Association, 1199 SEIU, the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association, and many others.

I’d also like to acknowledge that we are joined today by District Attorney Marian Ryan, who has seen the impact of workplace violence up close.

Finally, I’d like to thank every healthcare provider and advocate that has fought for these important protections.

Imagine walking into your workplace today knowing there is a high probability you will be verbally threatened, spit on, or physically assaulted. For the individuals running our healthcare system, this isn't a hypothetical fear—it is a daily reality.

Right now in Massachusetts, every 36 minutes, a healthcare worker is subjected to workplace violence. According to the Massachusetts Nurses Association, nearly 7 out of 10 nurses have experienced an assault on the job. These are the people we rely on during our most vulnerable moments, yet we are failing to protect them.

This crisis is driving our frontline caregivers out of the field entirely. When physical danger forces valued staff to walk away, the entire system suffers. Fewer workers mean less accessible care - and diminished quality of care—for all of us.

Today, we have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to change this. 

I am extremely grateful that the organizations representing hospitals, health systems, and healthcare unions have come together to support Senate Bill 3171. This bill addresses safety in a comprehensive manner. 

Equally important is how this bill cares for those impacted by workplace violence. It mandates paid leave for assaulted workers so they can seek medical treatment or aid in the prosecution of their attacker. It also protects their privacy, allowing them to use their facility or union address on criminal complaints instead of their home address.

Crucially, the bill distinguishes between intent and crisis. For patients experiencing a behavioral or mental health emergency, it mandates interagency data sharing to establish safe, non-punitive pathways to treatment, keeping both the patient and the provider safe. Again, I’d like to thank everyone who is working to get this legislation across the finish line – and everyone who shared their stories to help us understand the profound impact of workplace violence in healthcare.

And now, I’d like to welcome to the podium Shannan Bush, a nurse at Boston Medical Center.

Thank you.

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