2017 -- H 5972

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LC002168

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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 FACILITIES STAFFING

     

     Introduced By: Representatives O'Brien, Johnston, Solomon, Almeida, and McKiernan

     Date Introduced: March 22, 2017

     Referred To: House Labor

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Section 23-17.20-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-17.20 entitled

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"Health Care Facilities Staffing" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     23-17.20-2. Definitions.

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     As used in this chapter:

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     (1) "Employee" means a nurse licensed pursuant to chapter 5-34, and a certified nurse

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assistant registered pursuant to chapter 23-17.9, provided further, that such term shall not include

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certified registered nurse anesthetists or resident physicians; and provided further, that for

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purposes of this chapter, said nurse and/or nursing assistant shall be paid on the basis of an hourly

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wage or any other person who provides or assists in providing direct medical care to a patient

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including, but not limited to, a certified nurse assistant, respiratory therapist, diagnostic imaging

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technologist or a surgical technologist; and provided that said person or persons provide or assist

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in providing direct medical care to a patient; and provided further, that such term shall not include

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resident physicians; and provided further, that for purposes of this chapter, said nurse and/or other

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person providing or assisting in providing direct medical care to a patient shall be paid on the

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basis of an hourly wage. As used in this chapter, the term "employee" shall not include a person

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who is paid an annual salary, and shall not include employees who are working pre-scheduled

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"on-call time" in the surgical department of a health care facility.

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     (2) "Employer" means a person, partnership, association, corporation or group of persons

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acting directly or indirectly in the interest of a health care facility or any private, public, or state

 

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residential nursing facility;

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     (3) "Health care facility" means any private, public or state hospital;

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     (4) "On-call time" means time spent by an employee who is not working on the premises

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of the place of employment but who is compensated for availability or who, as a condition of

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employment, has agreed to be available to return to the premises of the place of employment on

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short notice if the need arises;

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     (5) "Reasonable efforts" means that the employer shall:

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     (i) Seek persons who volunteer to work extra time from all available qualified staff who

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are working at the time of the unforeseeable emergent circumstance;

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     (ii) Contact all qualified employees who have made themselves available to work extra

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time; and

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     (iii) Seek the use of per diem staff;

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     (6) "Regular hourly wage" means the amount that an employee is regularly paid for each

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hour of work as determined by dividing the total hours of work during the week into the

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employee's total earnings for the week, exclusive of pay for overtime work;

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     (7) "Unforeseeable emergent circumstance" means an unpredictable occurrence relating

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to health care delivery that requires immediate action, and which shall include a major power

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outage, a public health emergency, an irregular increase in patient census, or an irregular increase

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in the number of employees not reporting for predetermined scheduled work shifts.

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     SECTION 2. Section 36-4-41 of the General Laws in Chapter 36-4 entitled "Merit

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System" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     36-4-41. Appeal from administrator of adjudication to appeal board.

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     Any person, or the elected representative union or association of a person, with

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provisional, probationary, or permanent status who feels aggrieved by a decision of the

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administrator of adjudication may, within thirty (30) calendar days of the rendering of a decision,

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request in writing for the personnel appeal board to review the decision or conduct a public

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hearing. Within thirty (30) calendar days of the receipt of the request, the personnel appeal board

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shall make a report of its findings and recommendations to the governor based upon the decisions

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of the administrator of adjudication or the testimony taken at a hearing. Copies of the report shall

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be forwarded to the office of labor relations within the department of administration and to the

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office of the administrator of adjudication. Within fifteen (15) calendar days of the receipt of the

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report, the governor shall make his or her decision and so notify the appellant, the personnel

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appeal board, administrator of adjudication, and the office of labor relations.

 

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY - HEALTH CARE FACILITIES STAFFING

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     This act would broaden the definition of "employee" for purposes of health care facilities

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staffing. In addition to nurses, employees would include assistants and technologists providing

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direct medical care to patients. This act would also allow a person's union or association to file an

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appeal from the administrator to the personnel appeal board.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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