Outlawing threats to health care workers, Evers signs bill

Wisconsin State Capitol, Madison

Gov. Tony Evers signed a bill Wednesday that makes threatening a health care worker a felony.

The bill makes it a felony punishable by up six years in prison to threaten health care workers in their official capacity or their families in reaction to something that happened at health care facility. Legislators drafted the measure in responses to stories from health care providers about patients threatening doctors and others who were trying to care for them.

Current state law makes it a felony to commit battery against a nurse, an emergency medical care provider or a person working in an emergency department.

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Evers said in a statement announcing the signing that the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored health care workers' importance and they deserve to be safe.

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