HB22-1401: Hospital Nurse Staffing Standards

• Requires each hospital to establish a nurse staffing committee by September 1, 2022, with at least 60% participation by clinical staff nurses to develop annual master staffing plans aligned with nationally recognized standards.

• Hospitals must submit final staffing plans to the department annually, evaluate plans quarterly, and provide staffing information to nursing job applicants and patients upon request.

• Hospitals must report baseline staffed-bed capacity by September 1, 2022, and maintain at least 80% of that baseline; failure to do so results in a 30-day improvement plan requirement or waiver request, with penalties up to $1,000 per day.

• Hospitals with more than 25 beds must demonstrate in emergency plans the ability to expand staffed-bed capacity to 125% within 14 days after a public health emergency is declared, with penalties up to $10,000 per day for non-compliance.

• Appropriates $645,340 to the Department of Public Health and Environment and $139,939 to the Governor's Office for implementation, including nursing surveys and administration.