Logo

Action Center

Ask Congress to Help Protect Audiologists and SLPs from Workplace Violence

The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R 2663/S. 1176) would require the U.S. Department of Labor to issue workplace violence prevention standards to protect health care and social service workers, including audiologists and SLPs. The bill would help ensure that the health care settings where audiologists and SLPs work have effective policies, training, and recordkeeping access in place to prevent violence and protect their health and safety.

According to a 2016 Government Accountability Office study, rates of violence against health care workers are up to 12 times higher than rates for the overall workforce, and 70% of nonfatal workplace assaults in 2016 occurred in the health care and social assistance sectors. Over 40% of all ASHA members work in health care settings that include hospitals, residential facilities (e.g., skilled nursing facilities), and nonresidential settings, including home health care. The House of Representatives passed this bipartisan bill in 2021, but the Senate did not consider it. 

Download the Issue Brief [PDF] to learn more. 

Please complete the form to email your Representative and Senators and ask them to cosponsor H.R 2663/S. 1176.

Questions? Please contact Eric Masten, ASHA's director of federal affairs, education, at emasten@asha.org.  

Thank you for being an ASHA Advocate! 

    Subject
    Message Body
    Post
    Suggested Message
    Post
    Remaining: 0
  • Hide
    • Please call this number:

      Please do not close this window. You will need to come back to this window to enter your code.
      We just sent an email to ... containing a verification code.

      If you do not see the email within the next five minutes, please ensure you entered the correct email address and check your spam/junk mail folder.
      Enter Your Info
      Your Information
      By providing your mobile number, you agree to receive periodic call to action text messages from American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Message and data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help. Reply STOP to unsubscribe. Message frequency varies. Privacy Policy  
      Home Information

      Enter Your Info