CHA Statement on Proposed Workplace Violence Legislation

DENVER, COLO. – Feb. 27, 2024

Patients deserve a safe place in which to receive care and staff at Colorado’s hospitals and health systems deserve a safe place in which to deliver it. CHA has been working with the sponsors and proponents of House Bill 24-1066 for several weeks, but despite its best efforts, the Association is not in agreement with the current status of this bill and is aggressively seeking to amend it.

The proposed legislation does little – if anything – to protect health care workers from the workplace violence currently threatening their safety. One state law adding bureaucracy will not solve this crisis. Instead, a multifaceted approach is needed that will give support, especially for smaller and rural health care facilities.

Hospitals and health systems have invested significant resources, including staff time, money, building modifications, and additional security personnel to address the issue of violence against health care workers in recent years. CHA believes this legislation should leverage the work that’s already being done, allowing for innovation, improvement, and additional collaboration. For example, the Association proposed both a collaborative and a demonstration pilot that would help identify best practices already in place in Colorado and fund additional training and safety enhancements.

“The safety of our caregivers is too important to settle for legislation that doesn’t do enough to protect our workforce,” said Jeff Tieman, CHA president and CEO. “HB 24-1066, as offered today, offers a one-size-fits-all solution for hospitals across the state that are very different. While we support collaborative efforts to improve workforce safety, organizations must have the ability to innovate and create programs best suited to their staff, their patients, and their communities. We hope the sponsors and proponents of this legislation will continue to work with us to craft a bill that can make meaningful changes to help us protect our workforce.”

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