PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - A new Oregon law designed to address workplace violence in healthcare settings will take effect in 2026 after being passed by state lawmakers this summer.

Senate Bill 537 was signed by Governor Tina Kotek and aims to make sweeping changes across Oregon’s healthcare industry to address workplace safety concerns. The legislation comes as violence in healthcare settings has grown rapidly nationwide for over a decade, according to the Oregon Nurses Association.

The Oregon Nurses Association also found that over 90% of nurses in the union experienced some type of violence in the workplace last year in a survey of its members.

The law instructs hospitals to create workplace safety committees made up of hospital administration and healthcare workers. It also establishes

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