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2021 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 121
BY REPRESENTATIVE DUSTIN MILLER
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health to convene a healthcare workplace
violence task force in furtherance of House Concurrent Resolution No. 60 of the
2019 Regular Session of the Legislature.
WHEREAS, the incidence of nonfatal workplace violence against healthcare workers
increased sixty-two and one half percent from 2011 to 2018 as shown by the United States
Bureau of Labor Statistics; and
WHEREAS, the healthcare and social service industries experience the highest rates
of injuries caused by workplace violence and are five times more likely to suffer a workplace
violence injury than workers overall; and
WHEREAS, healthcare workers accounted for seventy-three percent of all nonfatal
workplace injuries and illnesses due to violence in 2018; and
WHEREAS, in 2018, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the rate of nonfatal
occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work resulting from an
intentional injury caused by a fellow worker in the private healthcare and social assistance
industry was ten and four tenths per ten thousand full-time workers, increasing fifty-eight
and three tenths percent from 2011 to 2018; and
WHEREAS, in 2019, the Legislature of Louisiana considered and passed House
Concurrent Resolution No. 60 addressing workplace violence in healthcare and social
services; and
WHEREAS, in compliance with that Resolution, the Louisiana Health Works
Commission, with assistance and guidance from the Nursing Supply and Demand Council
and the Department of Children and Family Services and others, did study and make
recommendations concerning potential policy changes, including but not limited to potential
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legislation for creating safer workplace environments in this state for physicians, nurses, and
social service workers, including workers employed by the department; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Health Works Commission was directed to submit a
written report of the recommendations called for in House Concurrent Resolution No. 60 of
the 2019 Regular Session to the House Committee on Health and Welfare, the Senate
Committee on Health and Welfare, the House Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations,
and the Senate Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations on or before February 1, 2020;
and
WHEREAS, the submitted report offered recommendations that include:
(1) Developing a broadly executed strategy of education and outreach aimed at the
public to raise awareness to the growing issue of workplace violence.
(2) Providing a comprehensive listing of existing best practices, toolkits, and
resources that can be made widely available statewide, that defines the various forms of
workplace violence and identifies discrete steps healthcare organizations and social service
agencies can take to prevent workplace violence and provide practical processes, policies,
and training resources to prevent harm to our vulnerable healthcare and social service
workforce.
(3) Exploring possible legislation that would strengthen criminal protection and
create more appropriate, stronger penalties against those individuals responsible for violent
acts against healthcare workers and social service workers of all types.
(4) Reviewing current data-gathering and reporting methodologies used by
healthcare organizations and making recommendations that will assist those organizations
without creating an unnecessary or undue reporting burden.
(5) Encouraging the legislature to secure the appropriate initial and ongoing funding
necessary to execute the above-mentioned recommendations and sustain those efforts going
forward; and
WHEREAS, the legislature finds that workplace violence in health care is an
important public health issue and is also a growing concern at the national level.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
urge and request the Louisiana Department of Health to create the Healthcare Workplace
Violence Task Force, hereafter referred to as the "task force".
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be staffed by the Louisiana
Department of Health and charged with advising the secretary of the department on its
recommendation regarding the development and implementation of healthcare workplace
violence initiatives throughout the state of Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be composed of the
following members:
(1) One Senate member appointed by the chairman of the Senate Committee on
Health and Welfare.
(2) One House member appointed by the chairman of the House Committee on
Health and Welfare.
(3) The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health.
(4) The secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services.
(5) The executive director of the Louisiana State Board of Nursing.
(6) The executive director of the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners.
(7) The president of the Louisiana State Nurses Association.
(8) The president of the Louisiana Association of Nurse Practitioners.
(9) The chairman of the Louisiana Organization for Nursing Leadership.
(10) The president of the Louisiana Hospital Association.
(11) The chairman of the Nursing Supply and Demand Council.
(12) The executive director of the Louisiana State Medical Society.
(13) One member representing the Louisiana Chapter of the American Psychiatric
Nurses Association.
(14) One member representing the Louisiana Chiefs of Police Association.
(15) The president of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association.
(16) One member representing the judiciary appointed by the chief justice of the
Louisiana Supreme Court.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall be charged with advising the
secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health on its recommendation regarding the
development and implementation of healthcare workplace violence prevention and
mitigation initiatives throughout the state.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall convene its first meeting, to
be held at the Louisiana Department of Health in Baton Rouge, no later than October 1,
2021. At the first meeting, the members of the task force shall elect a chairman and vice
chairman and other officers as they deem appropriate.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the task force shall not be
compensated for their services on the task force but may seek travel reimbursement from
their respective agencies under their respective guidelines.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that meetings of the task force shall be subject to the
Open Meetings Law R.S. 42:11 et. seq., and records of the task force shall be subject to the
Public Records Law, R.S. 44:1 et. seq.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the duties of the task force shall continue and
be guided by recommendations from the House Concurrent Resolution No. 60 of the 2019
Regular Session subcommittee workgroup of the Nursing Supply and Demand Council.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force shall submit updates to the Senate
and House committees on health and welfare on progress towards recommendations
regarding the development and implementation of healthcare workplace violence initiatives
throughout this state.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the first report shall be provided to the House
Committee on Health and Welfare, the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare, the
speaker of the House, and the president of the Senate at least forty-five days prior to the
convening of the 2022 Regular Session.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, the secretary of the Department of Children
and Family Services, the executive director of the Louisiana State Board of Nursing, the
executive director of the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners, the president of the
Louisiana State Nurses Association, the president of the Louisiana Association of Nurse
Practitioners, the chairman of the Louisiana Organization for Nursing Leadership, the
president of the Louisiana Hospital Association, the chairman of the Nursing Supply and
Demand Council, the executive director of the Louisiana State Medical Society, the
president of the Louisiana Chapter of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, the
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executive director of the Louisiana Chiefs of Police Association, the president of the
Louisiana Sheriffs' Association, and the chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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