Massachusetts bill aims to increase penalty for attacking health care workers

The stabbing of an emergency medical technician in Boston this month drew attention to a bill before the Massachusetts legislature that would increase the penalty for assaulting a health care worker. According to the advocacy group Stop Healthcare Violence, assaulting a health care worker is a felony in most states but not in Massachusetts. “To me [the legislation] really sends a dual message,” the bill’s co-sponsor Rep. Paul Tucker, D-Salem, told CBS Boston. “One is to those who would think about assaulting a worker in their capacity, in their job, that won’t be tolerated. Two, I think it says to the health care workers themselves—whether it be nurses, health care providers—that we want to make sure that we protect you as well. We have to protect those who protect us.” (CBS Boston story, 7/11/19)