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Bill

A 203

Requires hospitals to develop a violence prevention program

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Ed Braunstein and 30 co-sponsors

Hospitals must create, implement, and update a formal violence prevention program with risk assessments, training, incident reporting, and coordination with law enforcement.

RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY
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Bill Summary · A 203

Summary — A.203 (2025) — Requires hospitals to develop a violence prevention program

Status and sponsors
- Bill number: A.203 (prints A203A / A203B)
- Title: Requires hospitals to develop a violence prevention program
- Introduced: January 8, 2025
- Primary sponsor: Assemblymember Catalina Cruz; many cosponsors (see full list above)
- Legislative status (as of 2025-06-11): Passed Assembly (6/11/2025); delivered to and passed the Senate (6/11/2025) after substitution for S5294B; bill was returned to the Assembly on 6/11/2025 (presumably for concurrence on Senate changes). Companion: S.5294 (S5294B).

Purpose / intent
- The bill requires hospitals to adopt and maintain a formal violence prevention program intended to reduce workplace and patient-directed violence, improve safety for patients and staff, and standardize prevention, reporting, and response practices across hospitals.

Key provisions (overview)
Note: the public bill text provided was not fully legible in the materials supplied. The items below summarize the core requirement (from the bill title/summary) and the sorts of specific elements that A.203 is designed to establish or typically includes in statutes of this type. Exact statutory language and any deadlines or penalty provisions should be confirmed in the bill text.

  • Program requirement: Hospitals must develop, implement, and regularly update a written violence prevention program/policy.
  • Designation of responsibility: Require hospitals to designate a program coordinator or team responsible for development, implementation, and monitoring.
  • Risk assessment and prevention measures: Require periodic workplace risk assessments and adoption of engineering, administrative, and behavioral controls (e.g., security staffing, alarm systems, environmental modifications).
  • Training and education: Mandate regular staff training (de‑escalation techniques, recognition of violent behavior, reporting procedures) for clinical and nonclinical employees.
  • Incident reporting and recordkeeping: Require standardized procedures for documenting violent incidents, near misses, and follow‑up actions; potential requirements for data retention.
  • Response protocols: Establish procedures for immediate response to violent incidents, post‑incident support (medical and mental health), and return‑to‑work considerations.
  • Coordination and reporting: Require coordination with local law enforcement, public health entities, and possibly reporting aggregated data to the State Department of Health (or another specified agency).
  • Monitoring and review: Require periodic internal review/audit of program effectiveness and revisions as needed.

Who would be affected
- Hospitals licensed in the state (administration and compliance officers)
- Hospital employees and contractors (clinical and non‑clinical staff)
- Patients and visitors (through enhanced safety measures)
- Local public safety and public health partners (coordination/ reporting)
- Potential budget/operational impacts for hospitals (training, security upgrades, recordkeeping)

Potential impacts
- Positive public‑health and occupational safety outcomes: reduced incidents of violence, clearer reporting and response, better staff preparedness.
- Administrative and fiscal effects: hospitals would face new compliance costs (training, security equipment, personnel time) and recordkeeping responsibilities; smaller hospitals may face proportionally higher burdens.
- Oversight implications: depending on enforcement language, the State may be given authority to audit compliance or tie compliance to licensing/inspection processes.

Procedural/timeline notes
- A.203 was printed in amended forms (A203A, A203B) and amended/re-referred to Health and Ways & Means during the spring of 2025.
- The bill passed both chambers on 6/11/2025 but was returned to the Assembly — typical next step is Assembly concurrence with any Senate amendments; if concurred, the bill would be enrolled and sent to the Governor for signature or veto.
- Check the Assembly legislative record for any concurrence vote or additional amendments following the 6/11/2025 return.

Related legislation
- Companion bill(s): S.5294 / S5294B
- Prior-session related bills: A.10733, A.6728, A.9910, A.4848, A.474

For exact statutory language, compliance dates, enforcement mechanisms, and fiscal notes, consult the official enrolled bill text and the bill’s Legislative Jacket or fiscal impact statement.

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

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