Bill > S04003

This bill establishes the "Safe Staffing for Hospital Care Act", which aims to improve patient safety and healthcare worker well-being by introducing comprehensive staffing requirements for healthcare facilities in New York. The legislation mandates that hospitals develop and submit annual staffing plans with specific nurse-to-patient ratios for different medical units, ranging from one-to-one ratios in critical areas like pediatric recovery and operating rooms to one-to-six ratios in adult medical-surgical units. The bill prohibits mandatory overtime, limiting healthcare workers to no more than twelve hours in a twenty-four-hour period and eighty hours in a fourteen-day period, with exceptions only during declared emergencies. Facilities must maintain detailed daily records of patient acuity, nursing staff, and performance metrics, and develop policies that allow nurses to refuse assignments that could compromise patient safety or their own ability to provide quality care. The bill also includes robust protections for healthcare workers, preventing retaliation for reporting violations and providing mechanisms for enforcement, including potential monetary damages and legal remedies for employees who are unfairly treated. The overall intent is to improve healthcare delivery, reduce medical errors, and protect both patients and healthcare professionals by establishing clear, evidence-based staffing standards.

Health and Social Services

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S4003