Hospital Workplace Violence Reporting Requirements

New violence reporting protections for hospital workers

The law takes effect May 6, 2026. Utah general acute and specialty hospitals must establish workplace violence reporting systems by November 1, 2026. Hospitals must record all incidents voluntarily reported by employees. They must adopt policies banning discrimination or retaliation against workers who report violence or help with investigations. Records must include the incident's date, time, description, the victim's job category, and the immediate response. They must also identify whether the person responsible was a patient, visitor, or employee. Hospitals must explain the system to all employees, including new workers during orientation. Guidelines must explain when and how to report to the employer, security agencies, and appropriate law enforcement authorities. Hospitals must analyze the records, keep them for at least two years, and use them to improve violence prevention. Improvements include targeted continuing education, de-escalation training, risk identification, and violence prevention planning. Hospitals must send quarterly data to the state department's chief medical officer and chief nursing officer. They must also send yearly incident counts to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services. The law provides no additional funding. It also repeals subsection 76-5-102.7(2)(b), concerning assault or threats against health facility employees, on January 1, 2027. Subsection 76-11-218(10), concerning law enforcement data collection for written warnings, citations, or referrals, is repealed December 31, 2031.