SB 1026 - Florida Hospital Patient Protection Act

• Creates minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios for health care facilities, including critical care (1:2), emergency departments (1:2-3), surgical units (1:4), and rehabilitation units (1:5), with specific ratios for specialty areas like labor and delivery and operating rooms

• Prohibits mandatory overtime to meet staffing requirements and restricts use of acuity-adjustable units and video monitoring as substitutes for direct nurse observation and care

• Establishes professional practice protections allowing direct care registered nurses to refuse unsafe assignments without retaliation, including discharge, discrimination, or filing complaints against their license

• Requires health care facilities to develop written staffing plans reviewed annually by committees with at least half membership from unit-specific direct care registered nurses, and mandates posting of actual daily staffing levels by shift

• Authorizes the Agency for Health Care Administration to impose civil penalties up to $25,000 per violation (minimum $25,000 for pattern violations) and establish a toll-free hotline for reporting violations