A bill that increases the punishment for assaulting a hospital worker to a fourth-degree felony has passed the Ohio House of Representatives by a wide margin.
While the bill’s prospects in the Senate are uncertain, it’s already progressed farther than a nearly identical bill that never made it to a vote in the state’s prior legislative session.
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House Bill 62 passed by a vote of 85 to 12.
The law would cover anyone who works in a hospital — doctors, nurses, clerks, medical technicians, security officers and others.
Fourth-degree felonies are punishable by prison terms between six and 18 months, and a fine up to $5,000. Typically, assault is treated as a lesser offense, such as a first-degree misdemeanor, which calls for punishment of up to six months in jail and a fine up to $1,000.
The Ohio Hospital Association and Ohio State Medical Association, which represents the state’s physicians, support the proposal.
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The bill was sponsored by Rep. Anne Gonzales, R-Westerville, who wasn’t immediately available for comment.
“We believe even verbally alerting a potential assailant that assaulting a healthcare professional is a felony may help defuse many situations,” she told the Columbus Dispatch.
HB 62 is curiously similar to another piece of legislation, HB 154, that was proposed during the current session.