SB 240, also known as the Workplace Violence Prevention Act, has passed through the Texas State House and Senate and been signed into law effective September 1, 2023.
The bill comes in response to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) workplace violence guidelines, specifically targeting the healthcare industry. In 2022, the Texas Hospital Association (THA) released a statement regarding the need for better protections for healthcare workers. The THA defines workplace violence as “an act or threat occurring in the workplace that can include any of the following: verbal, nonverbal, written or physical aggression; threatening, intimidating, harassing or humiliating words or actions; bullying; sabotage; sexual harassment; physical assaults; or other threatening disruptive behaviors of concern involving staff/employees, licensed practitioners, patients, customers or visitors.”