SB470,,112023 SENATE BILL 470
September 29, 2023 - Introduced by Senators Larson, Carpenter, Hesselbein and L. Johnson, cosponsored by Representatives Hong, Ratcliff, Shelton, Cabrera, Joers, J. Anderson, Sinicki, Stubbs, Palmeri, Clancy, C. Anderson, Ortiz-Velez and Subeck. Referred to Committee on Health.
SB470,,22An Act to amend 111.322 (2m) (a) and 111.322 (2m) (b); and to create 50.373, 103.035, 106.54 (10) (c) and 146.998 of the statutes; relating to: minimum nurse staffing ratios in hospitals, registered nurses’ right to refuse a work assignment, prohibiting mandatory overtime for registered nurses, and providing a penalty.
SB470,,33Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
This bill requires hospitals to develop and adhere to a plan for staffing registered nurses. Under the bill, the nurse staffing plan must meet certain standards, including being created and approved by a nurse staffing committee, the majority of which must be registered nurses in nonsupervisory positions; reviewed annually by the hospital; provided to the Department of Health Services annually, by a deadline set by DHS; and posted in every unit of the hospital and on the DHS website. The bill establishes minimum nurse-to-patient ratios that the hospital must maintain for each unit in the hospital. Under the bill, hospitals must keep for at least three years records of its nurse staffing ratios and actual staffing numbers.