Bill > S07994

This bill amends existing labor and education laws to explicitly include home care visits when defining a nurse's regularly scheduled work hours. Specifically, the bill expands definitions in the labor law to clarify that home care visits are considered part of a nurse's regular work schedule, just like shifts in hospitals or other healthcare facilities. The legislation prevents healthcare employers from requiring nurses to work beyond their pre-scheduled hours, including home care visits, without the nurse's consent. By explicitly mentioning home care visits in the law, the bill ensures that home care nurses have the same protections against mandatory overtime as nurses working in other healthcare settings. The bill defines a "nurse" as a registered professional nurse or licensed practical nurse providing direct patient care, and it stipulates that a nurse's refusal to work beyond their regularly scheduled hours—now explicitly including home care visits—cannot be considered patient abandonment, except under specific circumstances outlined in the labor law. The changes aim to protect nurses from being forced to work extended hours against their will and provide clarity about what constitutes a nurse's scheduled work time in home care settings.

Labor and Employment

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7994