The proposed bill amends the Public Health Code to establish regulations regarding the working hours of registered professional nurses in hospitals. It prohibits hospitals from requiring nurses to work beyond their predetermined schedules, on-call hours, or any voluntarily agreed-upon additional hours. Furthermore, if a nurse works 12 or more consecutive hours, the hospital must provide them with 8 consecutive hours of off-duty time afterward. However, there are exceptions to these requirements during declared states of emergency, mass casualty incidents, or specific circumstances where patient care necessitates the nurse's continued presence.

Additionally, the bill protects nurses from disciplinary actions if they refuse work assignments that exceed the stipulated hours. Hospitals are mandated to inform their nursing staff about these regulations and the process for filing complaints regarding violations. The bill also outlines administrative sanctions for non-compliance and specifies that it will not apply if a collective bargaining agreement is in effect that conflicts with its provisions. The enactment of this bill is contingent upon the passage of Senate Bill No. 297.

Statutes affected:
Senate Introduced Bill: 333.1101, 333.25211