S. 1709: Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2025
The Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2025 aims to improve patient care quality and safety in hospitals by establishing minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. By setting these staffing ratios, the bill seeks to ensure that every patient receives adequate attention and care from nursing staff, thereby enhancing the overall safety and quality of healthcare services provided.
Key Provisions
- Minimum Staffing Ratios: The bill mandates specific minimum ratios of nurses to patients to be maintained in healthcare facilities, thereby addressing concerns about overworked staff and insufficient patient care.
- Staffing Plans: Hospitals will be required to develop and implement comprehensive staffing plans that adhere to the established ratios, ensuring consistency and reliability in care delivery.
- Enforcement Mechanisms: The bill includes provisions for enforcing compliance with these staffing standards. This may involve monitoring and potential penalties for facilities that do not adhere to the required staffing levels.
- Confidentiality of Patient Information: The bill ensures that patient information remains private and is only disclosed when legally mandated, maintaining the confidentiality and trust between patients and healthcare providers.
- Reporting Requirements: It mandates regular reports to Congress regarding nurse staffing levels and retention rates, facilitating transparency and oversight in hospital practices.
- Compliance in Health Programs: The bill also amends existing health program regulations to enforce compliance with direct care nurse staffing requirements across various health facilities and departments.
This legislation is intended to foster an environment where patients receive high-quality care through adequate nursing support while simultaneously protecting patient privacy and enhancing regulatory oversight of staffing in healthcare settings.
Relevant Companies
- HCA Healthcare (HCA): As one of the largest hospital operators in the U.S., HCA Healthcare could be directly impacted by the new staffing ratios, as compliance will require adjustments in staffing and operational procedures.
- Change Healthcare (CHNG): This company may be indirectly affected due to the potential increase in demands for healthcare technology solutions that assist in managing staffing compliance and reporting requirements.
This is an AI-generated summary of the bill text. There may be mistakes.
Sponsors
5 bill sponsors
Actions
2 actions
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| May. 12, 2025 | Introduced in Senate |
| May. 12, 2025 | Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S2864) |
Corporate Lobbying
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