2017 -- H 5314

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LC001078

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- HEALTH CARE ACCESSIBILITY AND

QUALITY ASSURANCE ACT

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Bennett, Slater, Marshall, Canario, and Barros

     Date Introduced: February 01, 2017

     Referred To: House Labor

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Chapter 23-17.20 of the General Laws entitled “Health Care Facilities

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Staffing” is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     23-17.20-7. Use of Rhode Island licensed nurses.

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     (a) No health care facility shall seek the use of temporary nurses that are not licensed in

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Rhode Island pursuant to chapter 34 of title 5, until the facility has exhausted all reasonable

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efforts as defined in this chapter to obtain qualified staffing.

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     (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of §23-17.7.1-15(3), the use of licensed nursing

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service agency nurses shall not be used to cover shifts resulting from vacancies due to chronic

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short staffing, as defined by regulation by the department of health.

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     (c) The provisions of this section shall not apply in the case of an unforeseeable emergent

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circumstance as defined in §23-17.20-2 if the hospital has complied with subsections (a) and (b)

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of this section.

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     (d) The requirement that the employer shall exhaust reasonable efforts to obtain staffing

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shall not apply in the event of any declared national, state or municipal emergency or a disaster or

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other catastrophic event which substantially affects or increases the need for health care

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services.   

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     (e) Health care facilities shall report monthly to the department of labor and training, in a

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form and substance prescribed by the department, on the number of shifts covered by non-Rhode

 

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Island licensed nurses. The department shall work with the health care facilities to help identify

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qualified nurses licensed by the state. The department shall make this information available to the

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public.

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     (f) Health care facilities shall report to the department of health the name and state of

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licensure of any registered nurse performing work duties at the facility who are not licensed in

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Rhode Island. This information shall be reported to the department within seven (7) days from

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when any registered nurse not licensed in Rhode Island begins performing job duties at a health

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care facility. The department shall make the above prescribed information, with the exception of

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the name of the nurses, available to the public.

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     (g) These provisions shall not apply in the event of an organized labor strike or other

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work stoppage.

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     (h) The department of health shall promulgate regulations to further define the terms,

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conditions, and requirements of this section.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect on March 1, 2018.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- HEALTH CARE ACCESSIBILITY AND

QUALITY ASSURANCE ACT

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     This act would prohibit health care facilities from using licensed nursing services

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agencies to cover shifts resulting from vacancies due to chronic short staffing, and would require

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that health care facilities to seek the use of licensed Rhode Island nurses to satisfy staffing needs,

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but would permit exceptions in certain emergency situations.

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     This act would take effect on March 1, 2018.

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