Save Healthcare Workers Act

Chapter 7 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

Whoever knowingly assaults an individual employed by a hospital engaged in interstate commerce, or an entity contracting with a hospital or other medical facility engaged in interstate commerce, on the grounds of a hospital while the individual is engaged in or on account of duties at the hospital shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 10 years, or both.

Whoever, in the commission of any act described in subsection (a), uses a firearm or dangerous weapon or inflicts serious bodily injury, shall, in addition to the penalties provided for in that subsection, be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both.

Whoever commits any act described in subsection (a) during the period of a declaration of a public emergency for the area in which the act is committed shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both.

It shall be an affirmative defense to a prosecution under this section that—

(A) the defendant is a person with a physical, mental, or intellectual disability;

(B) the conduct of the defendant was a clear and direct manifestation of such disability; and

(C) the defendant, as a result of such disability, was unable to appreciate the nature and quality or wrongfulness of such conduct.

The defendant has the burden of proving the defense under this subsection by a preponderance of the evidence.

In this section:

The term dangerous weapon means a weapon, device, instrument, material, or substance, animate or inanimate, that is used for, or is readily capable of, causing death or serious bodily injury.

The term declaration of a public emergency means an emergency or major disaster declared by the President pursuant to the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.).

The term disability means a disability described in section 3(1)(A) of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12102(1)(A)).

The term grounds of a hospital means the hospital buildings and the land used for the purposes of the hospital, including all buildings, roads, paths, and open spaces.

The term hospital means any of the following medical facilities:

(A) A hospital (as defined in section 1861(e) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(e))).

(B) A long-term care hospital (as defined in section 1861(ccc) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(ccc))).

(C) A rehabilitation facility (as described in section 1886(j)(1)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(j)(1)(A))).

(D) A children's hospital (as described in section 1886(d)(1)(B)(iii) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(1)(B)(iii))).

(E) A cancer hospital (as described in section 1886(d)(1)(B)(v) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ww(d)(1)(B)(v))).

(F) A critical access hospital (as defined in section 1861(mm)(1) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(mm)(1))).

(G) A rural emergency hospital (as defined in section 1861(kkk)(2) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(kkk)(2))).

The term serious bodily injury has the meaning given the term in section as the meaning given the term in section 1365(h).

The table of sections for chapter 7 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

(1) how this Act, and the amendments made by this Act, has affected workplace violence in healthcare settings; and

(2) whether Federal, State, Tribal, and local prosecutions for workplace violence in healthcare settings have increased or decreased because of the ability to prosecute these incidents as Federal crimes.