Advocacy Updates

Ohio ACEP is pleased to announce the passage of House Bill 452, important legislation designed to prevent hospital violence, enhance training, improve reporting, and strengthen security plans. The bill was passed by the legislature on the final day of the 135^th General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor in January. We extend our deepest gratitude to Representatives Andrea White and Rachel Baker, the bill’s sponsors, for their dedication and commitment to seeing this critical legislation through.
 
This important legislation requires hospitals to establish security plans for preventing workplace violence. The plan must be based on a security risk assessment that specifically looks at high-risk areas, including the emergency departments. The security plan will also address whether the emergency department needs a trained security/law enforcement officer on duty and what training those personnel shall have. HB 452 also requires hospitals to establish a workplace violence incident reporting system. This system will document, track and analyze reporting data to inform improvements to workplace safety.
 
Ohio ACEP’s Government Affairs Chair, Dr. RJ Sontag, Workplace Violence Workgroup Chair, Dr. Nicole Veitinger, Executive Director Holly Dorr, and our lobbyist Amanda Sines had the privilege of attending Governor DeWine’s signing ceremony for HB 452 this month. We were honored to be a part of this important moment.
 
The list of bills signed by the Governor on January 8 can be found in this press release.
 
With the start of the 136^th General Assembly, we look forward to collaborating with lawmakers to drive meaningful change. Please Save-the-Date for the Ohio ACEP Advocacy Day – June 4, 2025.

In case you missed it, here are the updates included in the December 2024 eNews

Want to Learn More?
If you’re interested in viewing the status of all of the bills Ohio ACEP is tracking, you can find the list here.