An act relating to the beverage container redemption system

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.259 2025 Page 1 of 8 VT LEG #380670 v.1 H.259 1 Introduced by Representative Cordes of Bristol 2 Referred to Committee on 3 Date: 4 Subject: Health; hospitals; workplace violence prevention; security plan 5 Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to require 6 hospitals to develop and implement a security plan for preventing workplace 7 violence. It further proposes to require hospitals to establish and utilize a 8 workplace violence incident reporting system. 9 An act relating to preventing workplace violence in hospitals 10 It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 11 Sec. 1. 18 V.S.A. § 1911b is added to read: 12 § 1911b. WORKPLACE VIOLENCE PREVENTION PLANNING 13 (a)(1) A hospital licensed pursuant to this chapter shall establish and 14 implement a security plan for preventing workplace violence and managing 15 aggressive behaviors. Each hospital shall establish a team for the purpose of 16 providing advice during the development of the hospital’s security plan. The 17 hospital shall select individuals from the following groups to serve on its 18 security plan development team: 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.259 2025 Page 2 of 8 VT LEG #380670 v.1 (A) health care employees providing direct patient care at the 1 hospital; 2 (B) representatives from the designated agency serving the region 3 where the hospital is located; and 4 (C) representatives of relevant law enforcement agencies. 5 (2) The security plan shall be based on the results of a security risk 6 assessment that addresses all high-risk areas of the hospital, including the 7 emergency department, and all patient care areas. The security risk assessment 8 shall be conducted in consultation with the medical and nursing directors of 9 each department and those hospital employees supervising other high-risk 10 areas of the hospital. The security risk assessment shall consider overall 11 patient volume, crime rates in the community, and the availability of law 12 enforcement to respond to violent incidents at the hospital. 13 (3) The security plan shall include an option for health care employees 14 who provide direct patient care to request an identification badge containing 15 only their first name or their first name and last initial. 16 (4)(A) The security plan shall require at least one hospital employee 17 trained in de-escalation strategies to be present at all time in the hospital’s 18 emergency department and all other patient care areas. 19 (B) The security plan shall require that a hospital employee trained in 20 trauma-informed care and victim support serve as a liaison to law enforcement, 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.259 2025 Page 3 of 8 VT LEG #380670 v.1 support victims through the legal process, and ensure that the response to 1 incidents of violence at the hospital prioritize the safety and retention of 2 hospital employees providing health care services. 3 (5) The security plan shall establish training requirements for 4 appropriate hospital employees on the following: 5 (A) the culture of safety as determined by the hospital; 6 (B) response to the presence or use of weapons; 7 (C) defensive tactics; 8 (D) de-escalation techniques; 9 (E) appropriate physical restraint and seclusion techniques; 10 (F) crisis intervention; 11 (G) trauma-informed care and strategies; 12 (H) clinician well-being practices; 13 (I) presence and intervention of law enforcement; and 14 (J) safely addressing situations involving patients, family members, 15 or other individuals who pose a risk of self-harm or harm to others. 16 (6) The security plan shall include guidelines indicating when a law 17 enforcement officer should remain with a patient who has demonstrated 18 violence or harm to others pursuant to 18 V.S.A. § 1883. The guidelines shall 19 be developed jointly by a health care provider representative and law 20 enforcement. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.259 2025 Page 4 of 8 VT LEG #380670 v.1 (7)(A) A hospital shall review and evaluate the security plan developed 1 pursuant to this subsection annually in conjunction with the data collected 2 pursuant to subdivision (b)(3) of this section. If necessary, the hospital shall 3 revise the security plan. 4 (B) The security plan and any annual revisions to the security plan 5 shall be distributed annually to all hospital employees, volunteers, the 6 hospital’s board of directors, relevant law enforcement agencies, and any other 7 partners identified by the security plan development team. 8 (b)(1) A hospital licensed pursuant to this chapter shall establish and utilize 9 a workplace violence incident reporting system to document, track, analyze, 10 and evaluate incidents of workplace violence at the hospital. Data collection 11 through the reporting system and resulting analysis shall be used to improve 12 workplace safety and to manage aggressive behaviors, including improvements 13 achieved through continuing education in targeted areas such as de-escalation 14 training, risk identification, and prevention planning. 15 (2) All hospital employees shall be notified about the existence of the 16 reporting system and shall receive training on how to report incidents of 17 workplace violence to the hospital, hospital security, law enforcement, or any 18 other entity the hospital deems appropriate. 19 (3) A hospital shall use its reporting system to track the following: 20 (A) the number of reported incidents; 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.259 2025 Page 5 of 8 VT LEG #380670 v.1 (B) the number of incidents reported to law enforcement; and 1 (C) the number of individuals involved in a reported incident who 2 were criminally charged as a result of the incident. 3 (c) A hospital shall adopt a policy prohibiting a hospital employee from 4 discriminating or retaliating against another hospital employee for: 5 (1) reporting an incidence of workplace violence; 6 (2) seeking assistance or intervention from the hospital, hospital 7 security, law enforcement, or any other appropriate entity; or 8 (3) participating in an investigation of workplace violence. 9 (d)(1) A hospital shall post a notice in a conspicuous location, either 10 electronically or in print, indicating that hospital employees do not tolerate an 11 unsafe work environment where any type of threatening or aggressive behavior 12 is present. The notice shall remind hospital patrons of the serious legal 13 consequences of assaulting a hospital employee. 14 (2) As used in this subsection, “conspicuous” could include the 15 hospital’s website, waiting room areas, or any other areas of the hospital that 16 the hospital deems appropriate. 17 (e) The Agency of Human Services shall collaborate with hospitals to 18 identify incentives, funding sources, and other means to support the 19 development and operation of workplace violence prevention programs at 20 hospitals. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.259 2025 Page 6 of 8 VT LEG #380670 v.1 Sec. 2. 18 V.S.A. § 9435 is amended to read: 1 § 9435. EXCLUSIONS 2 * * * 3 (i) Excluded from this subchapter are expenditures by a hospital that are 4 necessary to implement the security plan required pursuant to section 1911b of 5 this title. 6 Sec. 3. 18 V.S.A. § 9454 is amended to read: 7 § 9454. HOSPITALS; DUTIES 8 (a) Hospitals shall file the following information at the time and place and 9 in the manner established by the Board: 10 (1) a budget for the forthcoming fiscal year; 11 (2) financial information, including costs of operation, revenues, assets, 12 liabilities, fund balances, other income, rates, charges, units of services, and 13 wage and salary data; 14 (3) scope-of-service and volume-of-service information, including 15 inpatient services, outpatient services, and ancillary services by type of service 16 provided; 17 (4) utilization information; 18 (5) new hospital services and programs proposed for the forthcoming 19 fiscal year; 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.259 2025 Page 7 of 8 VT LEG #380670 v.1 (6) costs associated with implementing their security plan pursuant to 1 section 1911b of this title, including capital investments, program operation, 2 and staff; 3 (7) known depreciation schedules on existing buildings, a four-year 4 capital expenditure projection, and a one-year capital expenditure plan; and 5 (7)(8) such other information as the Board may require. 6 * * * 7 Sec. 4. 18 V.S.A. § 9456 is amended to read: 8 § 9456. BUDGET REVIEW 9 (a) The Board shall conduct reviews of each hospital’s proposed budget 10 based on the information provided pursuant to this subchapter and in 11 accordance with a schedule established by the Board. 12 * * * 13 (c) Individual hospital budgets established under this section shall: 14 * * * 15 (5) include a finding that the analysis provided in subdivision (b)(9) of 16 this section is a reasonable methodology for reflecting a reduction in net 17 revenues for non-Medicaid payers; and 18 (6) demonstrate that they support equal access to appropriate mental 19 health care that meets standards of quality, access, and affordability equivalent 20 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.259 2025 Page 8 of 8 VT LEG #380670 v.1 to other components of health care as part of an integrated, holistic system of 1 care; and 2 (7) allocate sufficient funds to ensure that the hospital is able to fully 3 support all of the costs associated with operating its security plan pursuant to 4 section 1911b of this title. 5 * * * 6 Sec. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE 7 This act shall take effect on July 1, 2025. 8