Florida Senate approves bill to increase protections for hospital workers

The Florida Senate on Tuesday gave final approval to a bill that would increase criminal penalties for people who assault hospital employees and volunteers.

The Senate voted 38-1 to pass the bill (HB 825), which was unanimously approved last month by the House. It is ready to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Current law leads to increased penalties for people who assault emergency-room employees, but the bill would expand those protections to other hospital workers, Senate sponsor Ana Maria Rodriguez, R-Doral, said.

She described hospitals as a “very high-stress setting.”

For example, assault charges typically are second-degree misdemeanors, but under the bill, they would be upgraded to first-degree misdemeanors for assaults on hospital workers.

Similarly, battery charges are typically first-degree misdemeanors but would be upgraded to third-degree felonies.

After the House passed the bill on April 20, the Florida Hospital Association released a statement that said hospital workers are six times more likely than average workers to suffer from workplace violence.

“This legislation will lead to better patient care by creating a safer working environment for our healthcare workers,” Mary Mayhew, president, and CEO of the association, said at the time.

Sen. Bobby Powell, D-West Palm Beach, cast the only dissenting vote Tuesday. He pointed to concerns about people with mental illnesses potentially facing increased criminal penalties because of incidents when they are having a “mental health crisis.”

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