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HB 543

Repeal termination date on reporting and disclosure of violence against health care employees

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Ed Buttrey

Montana makes permanent its requirement that health care facilities report and disclose workplace violence incidents against employees, removing the sunset date that would have ended these reporting mandates.

Chapter Number Assigned
#health(seealso:healthcareservices;safety) #laborandemployment(seealso:unemploymentinsurance;workers'comp) #professionsandoccupationsgenerally
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Bill Summary · HB 543

Legislative bill overview

HB 543 repeals a sunset provision that was set to terminate Montana's requirements for health care facilities to report and disclose incidents of violence against their employees. The bill makes these reporting and disclosure requirements permanent rather than allowing them to expire on a specified date.

Why is this important

Health care worker safety has become an increasingly documented concern, with hospitals and clinics experiencing rising rates of workplace violence from patients and visitors. By making these reporting requirements permanent, the bill ensures ongoing data collection and transparency about violence incidents, which can inform workplace safety policies, training programs, and resource allocation at health care facilities statewide.

Potential points of contention

  • Privacy concerns: Detailed reporting of violence incidents could potentially expose sensitive information about patients, employees, or specific facilities if disclosure requirements are broad
  • Administrative burden: Permanent reporting mandates create ongoing compliance costs for health care facilities, particularly for smaller rural hospitals with limited administrative staff
  • Data utility questions: Some facilities may argue that perpetual reporting without clear mechanisms for using the data to drive systemic improvements amounts to bureaucratic overhead rather than meaningful worker protection

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

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