Bill > SB411

This bill, the Safe Staffing Act of 2026, mandates that certain hospitals in Maryland establish and maintain a "clinical staffing committee," which is a committee with equal representation from hospital management and employees, including various frontline staff like nurses, technicians, and dietary workers, and potentially a patient advocate. This committee is responsible for developing a "clinical staffing plan," a detailed strategy for ensuring adequate staffing levels to meet patient needs. The plan must consider current staffing, methods for covering needs, any staffing gaps, evidence-based standards, and a schedule for review. Hospitals must annually review and update their staffing plans by July 1st, evaluating their effectiveness and establishing a process for handling staffing-related complaints. Beginning January 1, 2028, hospitals must implement these plans and assign personnel accordingly, with provisions for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and other frontline team members to submit complaints if assignments don't match the plan. Additionally, hospitals must publicly post their daily staffing plans and actual staffing levels on each patient unit and make copies available upon request. Starting July 1, 2030, hospitals will also be required to submit annual reports to the Maryland Health Care Commission summarizing how their staffing plans address safe staffing, which the commission will then compile and make publicly available. The bill also sets deadlines for establishing the committees by January 1, 2027, and developing the plans by July 1, 2027, with the entire act taking effect on October 1, 2026.

Budget and Finance

https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB0411?ys=2026RS