Bill > HR2581

Introduced Session

To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish direct care registered nurse-to-patient staffing ratio requirements in hospitals, and for other purposes. This bill requires hospitals to implement and submit to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) a staffing plan that complies with specified minimum nurse-to-patient ratios by unit. Hospitals must post a notice regarding nurse-to-patient ratios in each unit and maintain records of actual ratios for each shift in each unit. The bill also requires hospitals to follow certain procedures regarding how ratios are determined and other staff are prohibited from performing nurse functions unless specifically authorized within a state's scope of practice rules, among other requirements. HHS must adjust Medicare payments to hospitals to cover additional costs attributable to compliance with these ratios. Nurses may object to, or refuse to participate in, an assignment if it would violate minimum ratios or if they are not prepared by education or experience to fulfill the assignment without compromising the safety of a patient or jeopardizing their nurse's license. Hospitals may not (1) take adverse actions against a nurse based on the nurse's reasonable refusal to accept an assignment; or (2) discriminate against individuals for good faith complaints relating to the care, services, or conditions of the hospital or related facilities. HHS may impose civil monetary penalties on hospitals violating the ratio requirements and must publish the names of such hospitals. The bill provides stipends to the nurse workforce loan repayment and scholarship program and expands the nurse retention grant program to include nurse preceptorship and mentorship projects.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Jan Schakowsky (D)*,  Joyce Beatty (D),  Earl Blumenauer (D),  Suzanne Bonamici (D),  Julia Brownley (D),  André Carson (D),  Judy Chu (D),  Yvette Clarke (D),  Steve Cohen (D),  Danny Davis (D),  Peter DeFazio (D),  Rosa DeLauro (D),  Debbie Dingell (D),  Lloyd Doggett (D),  Veronica Escobar (D),  Tulsi Gabbard (D),  John Garamendi (D),  Chuy García (D),  Jimmy Gomez (D),  Raúl Grijalva (D),  Debra Haaland (D),  Jahana Hayes (D),  Brian Higgins (D),  Jared Huffman (D),  Sheila Jackson-Lee (D),  Pramila Jayapal (D),  Marcy Kaptur (D),  Robin Kelly (D),  Ro Khanna (D),  Barbara Lee (D),  Andy Levin (D),  Zoe Lofgren (D),  Alan Lowenthal (D),  Stephen Lynch (D),  Carolyn Maloney (D),  Betty McCollum (D),  Jim McGovern (D),  Grace Meng (D),  Gwen Moore (D),  Jerry Nadler (D),  Eleanor Holmes Norton (D),  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D),  Ilhan Omar (D),  Chellie Pingree (D),  Mark Pocan (D),  Katie Porter (D),  Jamie Raskin (D),  Bobby Rush (D),  Tim Ryan (D),  Brad Sherman (D),  Mark Takano (D),  Dina Titus (D),  Rashida Tlaib (D),  Norma Torres (D),  Nydia Velázquez (D),  Bonnie Watson Coleman (D),  Frederica Wilson (D), 

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. (on 05/09/2019)

Official Document