Bill > HB624

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." A clinical staffing committee is a group within a hospital responsible for creating and overseeing the staffing plan, with its composition varying based on the hospital's bed count, and it can include various healthcare professionals and patient advocates. A clinical staffing plan is a document outlining how a hospital will ensure adequate staffing to meet patient needs, considering factors like existing staff levels, patient acuity (how sick patients are), and required skill mixes. The bill mandates that these plans must comply with federal standards from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and accreditation bodies, and hospitals must implement their staffing plans by July 1, 2028, after establishing their committees by July 1, 2027.