(BOSTON—7/16/2026) The Massachusetts Senate acted today to support the safety of frontline health care workers by improving vital security protocols at hospitals and doctors’ offices across the state.
Responding to a troubling spate of violent incidents, the Senate’s legislation would require annual reviews of security protocols and potential risks at health care facilities.
The legislation passed by the Senate, S.3171, also helps law enforcement make timely arrests for assaults at health care facilities, extends new supports to health care employees who are assaulted on the job, and shields victims’ personal information from assailants.
“Our health care workers dedicate their lives to caring for others, and they should never have to worry about their own safety while doing so,” shared Senator Velis (D-Westfield), Chairman of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery. It is disheartening that so many members of the healthcare workforce fear violence in their workplace. I am beyond proud that the Senate took action to strengthen protections for our frontline health care professionals and ensure they can focus on what they do best, which is caring for patients.”
“Every 36 minutes, a health care worker in Massachusetts is assaulted or threatened on the job,” said Senator Joan B. Lovely (D-Salem), lead Senate sponsor of the legislation. “That is not the job description, and it never should be a reality for any professional. The bill the Senate passed today is built on legislation I have filed session after session on behalf of our nurses, our front-line caregivers, and our hospitals. It requires every facility to assess its own risks with its own workers, build a real prevention program, and ensure accountability. It gives an assaulted worker paid leave, privacy, and a lawful response. I thank Senate President Spilka and Chair Rodrigues for making this a Senate priority, and I thank the nurses who never stopped telling us what was happening on their floors.”
Nearly seven out of 10 nurses report having experienced an assault in the workplace, according to data shared by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, 1199SEIU, and the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association.
The Senate bill backs up law enforcement officers who respond to those incidents by allowing timely, warrantless arrests for line-of-duty assault and battery on a health care employee. This reasonable use of a warrantless arrest, in situations where the officer has probable cause to believe the suspect committed the assault, is similar to existing exceptions to allow timely arrests in domestic violence cases.
Supporting health care employees who are assaulted on the job, the bill requires employers to offer paid leave that covers an employee’s time seeking medical treatment and aiding in the prosecution of their attacker. It would also shield the victim’s personal, residential address on criminal complaints.
Full details of the bill are available in a fact sheet in the Senate’s press room.
The Senate Committee on Ways and Means redrafted the legislation and advanced it to the full Senate with a 13-0 vote on July 9, 2026. Previous versions of the bill were reviewed by the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security and passed by the House of Representatives.
The Senate passed the bill and sent it to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
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