This bill amends the Public Health Code by adding Section 21526, which establishes new regulations regarding the working hours of registered professional nurses in hospitals, effective June 1, 2027. Under this section, hospitals are prohibited from requiring nurses to work beyond their scheduled hours, on-call hours, or any voluntarily agreed-upon additional hours. If a nurse works 12 or more consecutive hours, the hospital must provide them with 8 consecutive hours of off-duty time, although nurses can voluntarily waive up to 4 hours of this time within a 72-hour period.

The bill outlines specific exceptions to these requirements, including during declared states of emergency, mass casualty incidents, or when a nurse is needed for patient care beyond their scheduled hours due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, it prohibits hospitals from retaliating against nurses who refuse assignments that would exceed the stipulated hours and mandates that hospitals inform nurses of their rights under this section. Hospitals found in violation of these regulations may face administrative fines. The bill also states that if a collective bargaining agreement is in place that conflicts with these provisions, the regulations will not apply until the agreement expires.

Statutes affected:
Substitute (S-1): 333.1101, 333.25211
Substitute (S-2): 333.1101, 333.25211
Senate Introduced Bill: 333.1101, 333.25211
As Passed by the Senate: 333.1101, 333.25211