Status: Enacted — Signed by Governor Kathy Hochul on December 12, 2025. Written prevention plans due within 280 days of enactment (mid-September 2026). Annual safety and security assessments begin January 1, 2027. Full program implementation deadline: September 2027.

Bill Number: NY S5294-B (Senate) / A203-B (Assembly)

Jurisdiction: New York

Category: Healthcare Workplace Violence

Industries: Healthcare (hospitals, nursing homes)

Enacted Date: December 12, 2025 (signed by Governor Kathy Hochul)

Effective Date: Written plans — within 280 days of enactment (approximately September 18, 2026). Annual assessments and security personnel mandate — January 1, 2027. Full implementation — September 2027.

Summary: New York S5294-B amends the Public Health Law to require every general hospital and nursing home in the state to establish a comprehensive workplace violence prevention program. The law is described formally as “An act to amend the public health law, in relation to requiring hospitals to develop a violence prevention program.” It is layered on top of New York’s existing Labor Law § 27-b workplace violence prevention framework for public employers, extending similar program obligations into the private and nonprofit hospital sector through the Department of Health. The bill was initially passed by the legislature on June 11, 2025 and signed into law by Governor Hochul on December 12, 2025.

Key Requirements:

Written workplace violence prevention plan — every general hospital and nursing home must develop and maintain a written plan within 280 days of enactment (mid-September 2026).
Annual workplace safety and security assessment beginning January 1, 2027, tailored to each facility’s size, complexity, geography, and patient population.
Identification of workplace violence threats and hazards and a written response plan addressing each identified hazard.
Security personnel mandate — hospitals located in cities or counties with populations of one million or more must have at least one off-duty law enforcement officer or trained security personnel present in the emergency department at all times, subject to emergent-circumstances exceptions. Hospitals in other areas must maintain on-site security personnel, prioritizing proximity to the emergency department.
Training for employees on the facility’s prevention program, warning-sign recognition, de-escalation, emergency response, and incident reporting.
Incident reporting and recordkeeping consistent with Department of Health oversight.
Program review at least annually, with updates to reflect new hazards.

Affected Entities: All general hospitals and nursing homes licensed under Article 28 of the New York Public Health Law. Heightened security personnel obligations apply to facilities in New York City, Long Island, and the Buffalo and Rochester metro areas (any city or county with a population ≥ 1 million).

IntelliSee Relevance: High. S5294-B’s written plan, hazard assessment, and annual review structure map directly to continuous engineering controls. IntelliSee’s AI-powered visual intelligence platform supports the law’s objectives through:

Hazard identification — AI weapon detection identifies visible firearms in emergency departments, behavioral health units, and waiting rooms before violent incidents escalate.
Security personnel augmentation — 24/7 autonomous monitoring extends the reach of on-site security personnel required by the statute, particularly during overnight shifts and weekends.
Incident recordkeeping — captures timestamped visual context for Department of Health-reportable incidents.
Privacy compatibility — IntelliSee operates without facial recognition, remaining compatible with HIPAA and patient confidentiality standards.

New York Hospital Violence Prevention Program Act (S5294-B / A203-B)

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