Save Healthcare Workers Act (H.R. 3178)

• •Creates a new federal offense for knowingly assaulting hospital personnel during the performance of their duties.
• •Standard penalty for assault is a fine and/or imprisonment for up to 10 years.
• •Enhanced penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment and/or fines applies if a dangerous weapon is used or bodily injury occurs.
• •Enhanced penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment and/or fines applies if the assault occurs during a declared public emergency.
• •Provides an affirmative defense if the defendant has a physical, mental, or intellectual disability and the conduct was a direct manifestation of that disability.
• •Applies to employees of hospitals and entities contracting with medical facilities.
• •Defines 'hospital' to include general hospitals, long-term care, rehabilitation, cancer, children's, critical access, and rural emergency hospitals.
• •Defines 'declaration of a public emergency' to include public health emergencies declared by the HHS Secretary or disasters declared by the President.
• •Congress justifies federal intervention by citing the impact of hospital violence on interstate commerce.

If passed, this bill would create a new federal criminal offense for assaulting hospital staff, potentially leading to prison sentences of up to 20 years depending on the circumstances of the incident.

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.