Bill > H2362

This bill aims to strengthen the worker voice in hospital care planning. It has several key provisions: 1. It prohibits hospitals from requiring mandatory overtime for healthcare workers, except in emergency situations where there is no reasonable alternative. It also limits healthcare workers to a maximum of 16 consecutive hours worked in a 24-hour period. 2. It requires hospitals to establish a healthcare workforce care planning committee, with equal representation from management and various healthcare worker roles. This committee is tasked with developing and implementing a comprehensive care team plan to ensure the healthcare workforce is sufficient to provide quality patient care. 3. It requires hospitals to submit their care team plan to the Department of Public Health and the Health Policy Commission on an annual basis, with certification from the planning committee that the plan accurately represents their consensus decisions. 4. It also amends the existing law to require the Health Policy Commission to analyze the impact of new and existing laws and regulations on healthcare providers' workforce, including changes in hiring, redeployment, retraining, and layoffs. The bill is intended to protect public health and the quality and safety of patient care by giving healthcare workers a greater voice in care planning and staffing decisions.

Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/H2362