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SB 25-166

Health-Care Workplace Violence Incentive Payments

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Judy Amabile and 45 co-sponsors

Creates a state incentive-pay program for health-care facilities to adopt violence-prevention measures, boosting worker safety and reporting with state funding.

Governor Signed
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Bill Summary · SB 25-166

Summary — SB 25-166: Health-Care Workplace Violence Incentive Payments

Status: Governor signed (May 5, 2025)
Introduced: February 18, 2025
Primary Sponsors: Lisa Feret; Kyle Mullica (listed as primary)
Chamber actions: Passed both chambers (Senate and House) in April 2025; sent to Governor April 25, 2025; signed May 5, 2025.

Note: The full bill text was not provided with the request. This summary is based on the bill title, sponsor and legislative-history information supplied and on typical elements such measures include. For exact statutory language, dollar amounts, deadlines, and administrative details, consult the enacted bill text.

Purpose and intent

SB 25-166 establishes a state program to provide incentive payments to health-care providers and/or facilities aimed at preventing, reducing, and responding to workplace violence in health-care settings. The legislation’s intent is to improve safety for health-care workers and patients by encouraging adoption of workplace-violence prevention practices through financial incentives administered by a state entity.

Key provisions (expected or typical components)

Because the bill text was not provided, these are the likely types of provisions based on the title and standard legislative practice:

  • Creation of an incentive-payment program administered by a specified state department or agency (commonly the Department of Public Health, Department of Labor, or a similar entity).
  • Definitions clarifying “health-care facility,” “workplace violence,” and eligible applicants (likely including hospitals, clinics, emergency departments, behavioral health facilities, long-term care facilities, and possibly home health agencies).
  • Eligibility criteria for incentive payments tied to the implementation of specified workplace-violence prevention measures, which may include:
    • Adoption of written workplace-violence prevention plans and policies.
    • Employee training on de-escalation, reporting, and safety procedures.
    • Implementation of incident reporting and data collection systems.
    • Environmental/security improvements (e.g., controlled access, alarms, security personnel).
    • Staffing and scheduling practices that reduce worker vulnerability.
  • Application, award, and reporting processes for recipients (application deadlines, required documentation, performance benchmarks).
  • Monitoring and evaluation requirements, such as periodic reporting to the legislature or agency on program outcomes (incident rates, training completion, use of funds).
  • Funding and appropriation language specifying the source and amount of incentive funds (if included). If the appropriation is absent from the summary provided, the enacted bill may either appropriate funds or authorize a grant program subject to future appropriations.
  • Protections for employee reporting and confidentiality provisions for incident data.

Who is affected

  • Primary: Health-care employers and facilities that treat or employ health-care workers (hospitals, clinics, behavioral health centers, nursing homes, etc.).
  • Secondary: Health-care workers (nurses, physicians, support staff, emergency responders) who may benefit from enhanced protections and training.
  • State agencies: The designated administering agency will incur administrative responsibilities (program oversight, distribution of funds, compliance monitoring).
  • Potential fiscal impact on the state budget if the bill authorizes appropriations for incentive payments.

Potential impacts

  • Positive: Increased workplace safety initiatives; reduced incidence of violence against health-care workers; improved employee retention and morale; better reporting and data on workplace violence.
  • Considerations: Administrative costs to run the program; need for sufficient and ongoing funding to sustain interventions; variability in uptake among providers depending on award size and eligibility rules.

Legislative timeline (selected actions)

  • 2025-02-18: Introduced in Senate; assigned to Senate Health & Human Services.
  • 2025-03-27–03-31: Senate committee amended and referred; passed Senate (third reading) April 1, 2025.
  • 2025-04-01–04-17: Considered in House Health & Human Services; passed House (third reading) April 17, 2025.
  • 2025-04-25: Sent to Governor; signed by legislative leadership the same day.
  • 2025-05-05: Governor signed — bill enacted.

Next steps / recommendations

  • Consult the final enacted bill text for precise language, funding amounts, eligibility, reporting requirements, and effective dates.
  • Review any implementing rules or guidance the administering agency issues to learn application timelines and compliance obligations.
  • Health-care employers should evaluate current workplace-violence policies and identify gaps that incentive payments could address.

If you’d like, I can locate the enacted bill text and produce a line-by-line summary of the statutory changes and funding specifics.

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

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