S. 1031: National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act
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S. 1031: National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act
111th Congress · introduced 2009-05-13 · Health · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2009-05-13 · official record
- Who proposed it: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
- If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.
Official title
National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act
Plain summary
National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require hospitals to implement nurse-to-patient staffing plans that provide adequate, appropriate, and quality delivery of health care services and protect patient safety. Sets forth minimum direct care registered nurse-to-patient ratios for emergency units, operating rooms, critical care units, and nursery units. Prohibits hospitals from imposing mandatory overtime and layoffs to meet required ratios. Requires hospitals to post a uniform notice that sets forth nurse-to-patient staffing ratios and requirements and to maintain records of actual direct care registered nurse-to-patient ratios in each hospital unit. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) establish a grant program to cover the costs of purchasing safe patient handling equipment; (2) establish procedures to allow the filing of complaints against a hospital for violations of this Act; (3) carry out a registered nurse workforce initiative to ensure an adequate number of registered nurses and reduce critical workforce shortages in hospitals; (4) establish nursing educational assistance grant programs; and (5) award grants to hospitals for a five-year nursing preceptorship and mentorship demonstration project to address nurse workforce shortages, improve patient care, and promote the retention of nurses in the workforce. Requires the Secretary of Labor to establish a federal safe patient handling standard to prevent musculoskeletal disorders for direct care registered nurses and other health care providers. Grants nurses certain rights, including the right to act as a patient advocate and to refuse assignments that violate the requirements of this Act or for which the nurse is not prepared by education, training, or experience. Prohibits hospitals from discharging, discriminating, or retaliating against a nurse for refusing a work assignment. Amends the Social Security Act to make Medicare and Medicaid providers subject to the requirements of this Act.
Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.
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What does this mean? (plain words)
Official text
National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act
Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes
Officials and money
Sponsor: Sen. Boxer, Barbara [D-CA] · 0 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.
Words on this page, explained (3)
- Appropriation
- Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
- Ballot initiative
- A proposed law or constitutional amendment that citizens place on the ballot by gathering enough voter signatures, so voters decide it directly. About half the states allow some form of it.
- Securities
- Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.
Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s1031.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>
Record fed-us-cong111-s1031 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111