BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1083
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CONCURRENCE IN SENATE AMENDMENTS
AB 1083 (John A. Perez)
As Amended June 17, 2009
Majority vote
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|ASSEMBLY: |76-0 |(May 28, 2009) |SENATE: |35-0 |(August 17, |
| | | | | |2009) |
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Original Committee Reference: HEALTH
SUMMARY : Requires hospital security and safety assessments to
be conducted not less than annually, and requires hospital
security plans to be updated annually. Provides that hospital
security plans may additionally include efforts to cooperate
with local law enforcement regarding violent acts at the
facility. Requires hospitals to consult with affected employees
and members of the medical staff in developing their security
plans and assessments.
The Senate amendments :
1)Delete the requirement that hospitals must make the security
plan and assessment available to any employee or to the
recognized bargaining agent of any employee or member of the
medical staff.
2)Permit hospitals to utilize hospital committees for
consultation when developing security plans and assessments.
EXISTING LAW :
1)Requires all licensed hospitals to conduct a single security
and safety assessment, and using the assessment, develop a
security plan to protect patients, staff, and visitors to the
hospital from aggressive or violent behavior.
2)Specifies that the security and safety assessment examine
trends of aggressive/violent behavior and track violent
incidents at the facility.
3)Directs hospitals to consider applicable guidelines and
standards from the Department of Public Health, the Division
of Occupational Safety and Health and the federal Occupational
AB 1083
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Safety and Health Administration.
4)Requires hospitals to have sufficient personnel to provide
security consistent with the security plan and security
personnel to be trained in applicable techniques and skills.
5)Requires hospitals to report any assault or battery against
any hospital employee which results in injury to local law
enforcement within 72 hours of the incident.
AS PASSED BY THE ASSEMBLY , this bill was substantially similar
to the version passed by the Senate.
FISCAL EFFECT : According to the Senate Appropriations
Committee, pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8, negligible state costs.
COMMENTS : This bill is, according to the Service Employees
International Union (SEIU), intended to update existing law
regarding hospital security planning to better prevent or manage
aggressive and violent acts in or near hospitals. SEIU reports
that hospitals now maintain security plans, but that these plans
are not consistently updated, and often exclude employee
participation. SEIU states that violence against hospital
employees is increasing, and that greater planning and
vigilance, as required in this bill, will reduce the risk to
hospital staff, patients and visitors.
Recent data developed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
indicates that hospital workers are at elevated risk for
violence in the workplace. The BLS estimates that in a typical
year 2,637 nonfatal assaults are made on hospital workers in
this country, a rate of 8.3 assaults per 10,000 workers. This
rate is much higher than all other industries which is two
nonfatal assaults per 10,000 workers. Nurses and aides with
direct patient contact are at higher risk for violence as are
emergency response personnel, hospital security officers, and
other providers. A survey of nearly 700 California doctors and
nurses by SEIU found that one half of respondents had witnessed
violence in their hospital and that one quarter had been
targeted in a violent incident. The National Institute for
Occupational Safety recommends participation of employees in
development of security plans to reduce violence in health care
settings.
AB 1083
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Analysis Prepared by : Tanya Robinson-Taylor / HEALTH / (916)
319-2097
FN: 0001925