Bill > SB411

This bill, known as the Safe Staffing Act of 2026, requires certain hospitals in Maryland to establish and maintain a clinical staffing committee and to develop and implement a clinical staffing plan to ensure adequate patient care. A clinical staffing committee, which will have a specific number of managers and employees depending on the hospital's size, will be responsible for finalizing a clinical staffing plan. This plan must consider factors such as existing staffing levels, patient needs, evidence-based standards, and the skill mix and competency of staff, while also complying with federal requirements from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and accreditation bodies. Hospitals must implement their finalized clinical staffing plans and assign personnel accordingly by July 1, 2028, and the bill also clarifies that these requirements do not supersede existing CMS conditions of participation or accreditation standards.