RESOLVED, That a special senate commission be and the same is hereby created consisting of seventeen (17) members: three (3) of whom shall be from the senate, not more than two (2) from the same political party to be appointed by the majority leader; one (1) of whom shall be representative of the department of health division of health services regulation, professional regulation, to be appointed by director; one (1) of whom shall be a representative of the board of nursing education and nurse registration, to be appointed by its chairman; one (1) of whom shall be a representative of the Rhode Island State Nurses Association, to be appointed by its president; one (1) of whom shall be a member of the hospital association of Rhode Island, to be appointed by its president; one (1) of whom shall be a member of the Rhode Island Quality Partners (RIQP), to be appointed by its director; one (1) of whom shall be a representative of the Association of Nursing Home Nurses, to be appointed by its president; one (1) of whom shall be a representative of the Visiting Nurse Association, to be appointed by its president; one (1) of whom shall be the director of the Rhode Island Department of Elderly Affairs, or designee; one (1) of whom shall be a representative of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals to be appointed by its president; one (1) of whom shall be a risk manager, to be appointed by the senate majority leader; and two (2) of whom shall be health care consumers, to be appointed by the senate majority leader; and one (1) of whom shall be a representative of the long term care nurses association to be appointed by its president; and one (1) of whom shall be a representative of a proprietary agency to be appointed by the senate majority leader.

In lieu of any appointment of a member of the legislature to a permanent advisory commission, a legislative study commission, or any commission created by a general assembly resolution, the appointing authority may appoint a member of the general public to serve in lieu of a legislator, provided that the majority leader or the minority leader of the political party which is entitled to the appointment consents to the appointment of the member of the general public.

The purpose of said commission shall be to determine the effect of the number of licensed nurses and the skill mix of licensed and nonlicensed staff on patient care outcomes to be determined by the commission. These may include, but are not limited to, patient incidents, patient satisfaction, patient complaints and resultant investigation findings, nosocomial infections, patient skin integrity, patient self-care practice, readmissions and other nursing quality indicators.

Forthwith upon passage of this resolution, the members of the commission shall meet at the call of the senate majority leader and organize and shall select from among the legislators a chairperson. Vacancies in said commission shall be filled in like manner as the original appointment.

The membership of said commission shall receive no compensation for their services.

All departments and agencies of the state shall furnish such advice and information, documentary and otherwise, to said commission and its agents as is deemed necessary or desirable by the commission to facilitate the purposes of this resolution.

The joint committee on legislative services is hereby authorized and directed to provide suitable quarters for said commission; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the commission shall report its findings and recommendations to the senate on or before February 4, 1998 and said commission shall expire on April 4, 1998.