HJBR Sep/Oct 2022

48 SEP / OCT 2022 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF BATON ROUGE NURSING COLUMN NURSING 2022 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: Implications for Professional Nursing Practice in Louisiana workplace violence on its website, which must include a listing of best practices, toolkits, and resources from governmen- tal and private authorities; a checklist of items for regulated entities to consider when developing a prevention plan; and a downloadable example of text that com- plies with the signage provisions required by the new law. The legislation, which was named the Lynne Truxillo Act in honor of a registered nurse who died because of her efforts to save her colleague who was being physically attacked by a patient, be- comes effective Aug. 1, 2022 (Act 461). In addition to Rep. Miller’s bill, SB 136 by Sen. Patrick Connick (R-Marrero), en- hances criminal penalties for the crime of battery of emergency room (ER) per- sonnel, emergency services personnel, or healthcare professionals. This bill also cre- ates two additional crimes: 1) assault on ER personnel, emergency services personnel, or a healthcare professional; and 2) unlaw- ful disruption of the operation of a health- care facility. It was signed by the Governor and becomes effective on August 1, 2022 (Act 129). tive to compliance with requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Ac- tion: Signed by the Governor, effective 5/25/2022 (Act 103). HB 312 & SB136 By Rep. Dustin Miller (D-Opelousas), this bill creates several new requirements for healthcare facilities related to work- place violence. Specifically, the legislation requires the following: 1) that facilities post signage indicating that abuse or assault of healthcare staff will not be tolerated and could result in a felony conviction, 2) that LDH make available information about workplace violence, and 3) that facilities must develop and maintain a workplace violence prevention plan. In addition, the legislation requires healthcare facilities to report all instances of workplace violence and prohibits any adverse employment ac- tion from being taken against an employ- ee who reports an instance of workplace violence. The legislation also requires the Louisiana Department of Health to de- velop, publish, and maintain public infor- mation regarding the issue of healthcare THE 2022 Regular Session of the Louisi- ana legislature was expected to be slow for nursing-specific legislation, although many workforce and occupational licen- sure bills were expected. The reality is that several bills and resolutions made it through the legislative process, many of which will require new rulemaking at the Louisiana State Board of Nursing (LSBN). Following is a summary of bills and res- olutions that have implications for regis- tered nurses (RNs) and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). HB 54 By Rep. Larry Bagley (R-Stonewall), this bill would have created a new cause of action against any governmental entity or public educational institution for dis- criminating against any employee based on vaccination status. Action: Vetoed by the Governor. HB 143 By Rep. Rhonda Butler (R-Ville Platte), this bill provides for the development and implementation by state agencies of policies, training, and reporting rela-