The SAVE Act, introduced in September 2023, creates a new federal crime targeting violence against hospital workers. The law makes it illegal to knowingly assault hospital employees or contractors who work at hospitals, long-term care facilities, rehabilitation centers, and children's hospitals engaged in interstate commerce, with penalties up to 10 years in prison. More serious offenses involving weapons or serious bodily injury can result in sentences up to 20 years, and assaults committed during declared public emergencies also carry the enhanced 20-year penalty. The bill includes a defense for individuals with physical, mental, or intellectual disabilities whose conduct was a direct manifestation of that disability. Additionally, the legislation requires the Government Accountability Office to study how the law affects workplace violence in healthcare settings and whether it leads to increased federal and state prosecutions for these crimes, though no specific funding amount or timeline for the study is specified in the text.
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