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Bill

S 1632

Exempts livestock guardian dogs and herding dogs from license fees

2025 Regular Session Introduced by George Borrello

Requires home healthcare employers to implement safety programs, train staff, pre-visit risk assessments, alarms, and incident reporting to protect workers from violence.

REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 1632

Summary — S.1632 (Docket No. 1307): “An Act providing safeguards for home healthcare workers”

Important note: the bill header provided to me (Bill No. S 1632, title about exempting livestock guardian dogs from license fees) does not match the full text you supplied. The text and docket filed as Senate No. 1632 / SD 1307 address workplace safety protections for home healthcare workers. This summary focuses on the actual bill text you provided (home healthcare worker safeguards). If you intended the livestock/animal-license bill, please send that text.

Purpose

To establish workplace-safety standards and supports for home healthcare workers by requiring employer safety programs, training, pre-visit risk assessments, communication tools, post-incident reporting, leave for assault victims, and employer-based crisis response and support services.

Definitions (selected)

  • Home healthcare employer: any agency/organization employing home healthcare workers.
  • Home healthcare worker: individual delivering healthcare services in a patient’s home (e.g., nurses, PTs, OTs).
  • Workplace violence: unpermitted/harmful touching, attempted/actual physical force, or conduct reasonably indicating intent to touch/use force in a way that would be criminal and reasonably creates fear.

Key provisions

  • Annual safety training: Employers must provide comprehensive annual workplace-safety training covering reporting methods and processes for filing criminal charges.
  • Employer safety program: Each employer must develop/implement a program to minimize workplace-violence risk that includes employee training, communication plans, and an incident reporting/monitoring system.
  • Pre-service safety assessment: Before providing services, employers must assess the home environment, including:
    • patient psychiatric/cognitive/emotional status;
    • patient history of violent behavior;
    • history of substance use disorder;
    • presence and histories of other individuals who may pose risk;
    • presence and security of weapons. Assessments must inform service delivery modifications to protect workers and meet patient needs.
  • Communication and alert devices: Employers must provide cellular phones or two-way devices and handheld alarms/noise devices for use during home visits.
  • Right to refuse unsafe assignments: Workers may refuse to provide services if (i) they have, where possible, requested the employer eliminate the danger and (ii) they genuinely believe an imminent danger exists. Refusal under these conditions may not result in loss of compensation or discipline.
  • Crisis response team & support: Employers must designate a senior manager to support an internal crisis response team and implement an “assaulted staff action” program that includes group/individual crisis counseling, victim support groups, family crisis interventions, peer-help and professional referrals.
  • Incident reporting: Every 180 days employers must report all workplace-violence incidents involving home healthcare workers on a form prescribed by the commissioner. Reports go to the state department and the district attorney where incidents occurred. The department must publish aggregated data statewide and by county within 90 days of receiving reports, categorized by occupation and incident type.
  • Enforcement/penalties: Violations of department rules/requirements may be fined up to $2,000 per violation. The department, aggrieved employees, interested parties, or unions may file complaints in district court and must notify the attorney general. The AG may order a work site closed by cease-and-desist where standards are violated.
  • Retaliation protection: Employers may not penalize workers for filing complaints or notifying the department about occupational health and safety issues.

Additional (partial) provision — leave

The bill inserts a new Section 52F (text truncated in provided copy) that would permit up to 7 days of leave in any 12‑month period for a home healthcare worker who is the victim of an assault in the line of duty to obtain victim services, legal assistance, protective orders, court appearances, meetings with law enforcement/DAs, or related legal matters.

Who is affected

  • Directly: home healthcare workers (nurses, therapists, aides), and home healthcare employers (agencies/organizations).
  • Indirectly: patients and household members (through assessments/changes to care delivery), district attorneys, the state department/commissioner responsible for public health/occupational standards, and the attorney general (enforcement role).

Enforcement/timelines & procedural status (as provided)

  • Filed in docket: Jan 16, 2025 (Senate Docket No. 1307).
  • Presented by: John C. Velis (and Michael D. Brady listed on petition).
  • Legislative actions listed are inconsistent (multiple referrals to Agriculture, Public Health, hearings scheduled 06/23/2025, “Introduced in Senate” 05/07/2025). Status shown as “REFERRED TO AGRICULTURE.” A hearing was scheduled/rescheduled for 06/23/2025 (locations A‑1 then B‑1).
  • Sponsors and related federal-style bill numbers in your data appear inconsistent with a Massachusetts state bill; please confirm if sponsorship/related-bill data are accurate for this text.

Notes & caveats

  • The copy you provided truncates some of Section 52F; full leave provisions and any remaining subsections are not available here.
  • There are internal inconsistencies in the metadata (title, sponsors, committee referrals). I recommend confirming the correct bill title/number and providing the full, final text or official docket entry for a complete, authoritative summary.

If you want, I can:
- Produce a redlined list of how employer policies would need to change to comply; or
- Draft a short one‑page fact sheet for employers/workers summarizing obligations and rights. Which would be most useful?

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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