A sign outside of the Methodist Dallas Medical Center. Photo by Rachel Stone.
The Texas Senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday that would increase the penalty for assaulting certain hospital personnel from a misdemeanor to a felony. The bill was inspired by last October’s shooting at Methodist Dallas Medical Center that left two healthcare workers dead.
Senate bill 840 was filed by Royce West, the state Senator for District 23 which covers the hospital and much of Oak Cliff.
West named the measure the Jacqueline “Jackie” Pokuaa and Katie “Annette” Flowers Act, in honor of the two hospital employees who were killed in the shooting.
The bill will now go to the House to be voted on.
House Representative Rafael Anchía, D-Dallas, has also presented a package of bills that are named after Pokuaa and Flowers.
Anchía’s bills would make it a felony for a parolee to cut off an ankle monitor, allow hospitals to be notified if a violent offender is entering the hospital and make the assault of a hospital worked a 3rd degree felony.
