S. 1788: Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act of 2009
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S. 1788: Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act of 2009
111th Congress · introduced 2009-10-15 · Labor and Employment · Latest: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 111-1138.
federal
Follow this bill, step by step
- Where it came from: introduced 2009-10-15 · official record
- Who proposed it: Sen. Franken, Al [D-MN] · what a sponsor is
- What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
- Where it stands now: Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 111-1138. 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
Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act of 2009
Plain summary
Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act of 2009 - Requires the Secretary of Labor to propose a standard on safe patient handling and injury prevention to prevent musculoskeletal disorders for direct-care registered nurses and all other health care workers that requires the use of engineering controls to lift patients and the elimination of manual lifting of patients through the use of mechanical devices, except where patient care may be compromised. Requires health care employers to: (1) develop and implement a safe patient handling and injury prevention plan; (2) provide their workers with training on safe patient handling and injury prevention; and (3) post a uniform notice that explains the standard and the procedures to report patient handling-related injuries. Requires the Secretary to conduct unscheduled inspections to ensure compliance with safety standards. Allows health care workers to: (1) refuse to accept an assignment in a health care facility that violates safety standards or for which such worker has not received required training; and (2) file complaints against employers who violate this Act. Prohibits employers from taking adverse actions against any health care worker who in good faith reports a violation, participates in an investigation or proceeding, or discusses violations. Authorizes health care workers who have been discharged, discriminated, or retaliated against in violation of this Act to bring legal action for reinstatement, reimbursement of lost compensation, attorneys' fees, court costs, and other damages. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a grant program for purchasing safe patient handling and injury prevention equipment for health care facilities.
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
Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act of 2009
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. Franken, Al [D-MN] · 3 cosponsors
Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.
Cosponsors on this site
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
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.
Sources
- Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
- Congress.gov
- Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s1788.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>
Record fed-us-cong111-s1788 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111