Prevent Workplace Violence and Injuries Legislative Agenda

Bills PEF supports 

Workplace Violence Prevention Bill
Support Memo
S6441 Spano / A9691 John

Requires all public employers to evaluate their workplaces to determine the presence of risk factors that may lead to violence in the workplace.

Public employers with more than 20 employees are required to implement a written program to prevent violence in the workplace. This will include a listing of risk factors and methods to reduce these risks.

Status: Signed into law by the Governor on June 7, 2006. Went into effect March 2007. Regulations are being promulgated by the NYS Dept of Labor that should be enforceable by mid September 2007.
Final regulations were promulgated by the NYS Dept of Labor on April 29, 2009.

Judi Scanlon Bill
Support Memo
S3101 Maziarz/ A2316 Hoyt

Directs that an OMH employee who is required to enter the residence of a person with serious mental illness can request to be accompanied by another employee for safety reasons. Requires that OMH provide to all intensive case managers annual training in safety and the prevention of violence and a mobile telephone. Requires that OMH provide enough staff so that each intensive case manager will have a caseload of no more than 12 patients.

Status: Vetoed by the Governor on July 28, 2006.

The Workplace Injury Disclosure and Accountability Bill
Support Memo
S1710 Robach / A06642 John

Amends the Civil Service Law to require that State Department of Civil Service prepare an annual report about injury rates among state employees due to workplace injuries in State agencies and the costs incurred by the State as a result of those injuries.

Status: Signed into law by Governor Spitzer on July 9, 2007. According to the legislation, the report must be published no later than September 13 of each year starting in 2008.

Copy of the Workers Comp Annual Report