SB 1290 Signed by the Governor!

 

Thank you for contacting the Governor regarding SB 1290- Governor Stitt Signed SB 1290 into Law!   Both Representative Cindy Roe and Senator Weaver are pleased!  You made a difference in helping our Governor and Members of the Legislature understand the abuse nurses and other health care providers face while taking care of patients. 

SB 1290 is intended to take steps to address the very serious violence that has infiltrated the healthcare arena. The language in this bill was developed from Senator Weaver’s recent Interim Study on Violence in the Health Care Workplace.  

 WHAT SB 1290 ACCOMPLISHES:

• Expands Oklahoma’s existing First Responder and Emergency Room assault law to include protections relating to assaults upon all health care workers. 
• Increases the penalty for assault to protect health care workers on the job.  For any aggravated assault or assault with a deadly weapon, the bill corrects the upside-down old law that would allow not more than a single year, changing the felony penalty to a range of 2 – 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $1,000, allowing for prosecutorial or judicial discretion, based upon various important mitigating circumstances.  It maintains the existing penalty for simple assault as a Felony with imprisonment not to exceed 2 years and a fine up to $1000.
• Requires that all hospitals, clinics, and ambulance services post signs stating:   “WARNING: ASSAULTING A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL WHO IS ENGAGED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF HIS OR HER OFFICIAL DUTIES IS A SERIOUS CRIME.”
• Requires reporting of all assaults to the State Department of Health on an annual basis

Please Thank your Legislator and Governor Stitt for their Support of SB1290

STOP THE VIOLENCE AGAINST HEALTHCARE WORKERS!