In making his appointment, Representative Jones cited Representative Kane’s longtime focus on public health issues, which earned her the American Nursing Association of Massachusetts’ Friend of Nursing Award in April of 2017 and the Massachusetts Public Health Association Legislative Leadership Award in November of 2019 for her efforts to promote a more effective, efficient and equitable local public health system. She also received the Vic Karaian Award from the Massachusetts Environmental Health Association in May of 2022 in recognition of her leadership and primary sponsorship of the Statewide Accelerated Public Health for Every Community Act (SAPHE 2.0).
“Throughout her time serving in the Legislature, Hannah has displayed a steadfast commitment to promoting bipartisan consensus on a wide range of public health issues,” said Representative Jones. “With statistics showing that health care workers in Massachusetts hospitals are experiencing physical and verbal threats and abuse every 36 minutes, it is clear that something needs to be done to help protect these frontline workers. I am certain that Hannah will be focused on working closely with her colleagues to achieve a consensus bill that maintains the strongest possible protections for the Commonwealth’s health care workers.”
On November 19, 2025, the House of Representatives unanimously approved House Bill 4767, An Act requiring health care employers to develop and implement programs to prevent workplace violence. The Senate passed its version of the bill, Senate Bill 3184, on July 16, 2026.
“Too often, the health care workers who care for us and our loved ones are subjected to violence,” said Representative Kane. “My daughter Madison, her friend Skyler, and my middle daughter’s girlfriend Cassidy are all new RNs, and have already faced patients trying to physically attack them and others, even witnessing a patient punch a pregnant co-worker in the stomach. Violence in health care settings puts hardworking caregivers at risk of injury, disrupts operations, and contributes to low morale and high staff turnover. Protecting health care workers is not only the right thing to do, but a safe workplace will also improve retention and recruitment in health care settings and help staff deliver care efficiently.”
As a member of the conference committee, Representative Kane will now help to reconcile the differences between the two proposals and negotiate compromise legislation that can be sent to Governor Maura Healey. Joining her on the conference committee are Representatives Michael Day (D-Stoneham) and Brandy Fluker-Reid (D-Boston), along with Senators Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington), Joan Lovely (D-Salem) and Kelly Dooner (R-Taunton).
Both the House and Senate bills include provisions requiring facility-specific risk assessments to be conducted annually by public health employers and directing them to implement employee training and reporting procedures as part of a plan to minimize the dangers of workplace violence. All incidents of workplace violence are to be reported to the Commissioner of Public Health and the local district attorney, with protections provided to employees who report incidents of workplace violence.
The primary difference between House Bill 4767 and Senate Bill 3184 is how they would punish individuals who assault a health care worker. Under the House bill, such assaults would be considered a felony carrying penalties of up to 10 years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The Senate bill, however, would classify these assaults as misdemeanors.
Representative Kane represents the 11th Worcester District, which includes her hometown of Shrewsbury as well as Precinct 4 in Westborough. In addition to serving as a member of the House Committee on Steering, Policy & Scheduling, she is also the Ranking Minority Member on the House Committee on Ethics; the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing; the Joint Committee on Public Health; and the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.
