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Kansas Enacts Stronger Penalties for Attacks on Health-Care Workers

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly's amendation of the state’s definition of battery to include attacks on healthcare providers while preforming healthcare duties went into effect Saturday.

Penalties for anyone convicted of battery against a healthcare worker in Kansas are now subject to stiffer criminal penalties, thanks to a new law that went into effect Saturday.

Gov. Laura Kelly signed the measure last month, amending the state’s definition of battery to include attacks on healthcare providers while they are engaged in the performance of their duties. Under the new law, battery against a healthcare provider is now a Class A misdemeanor.

Conviction is punishable by up to one year in county jail or a fine of up to $2,500, or both. Those convicted can also be placed on probation for a period of up to two years.

Injuries from violent attacks against medical professionals grew by 63 percent from 2011 to 2018, then set a record in the pandemic year of 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Posted July 5, 2023.