FL S0376

Establishes the "Florida Patient Protection Act," creating mandatory minimum nurse-to-patient staffing ratios for health care facilities including acute care hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and psychiatric facilities

Sets specific staffing ratios by unit type: 1:1 for trauma and operating rooms, 1:2 for critical care/ICU/labor and delivery/postanesthesia units, 1:3 for step-down units, 1:4 for emergency rooms/medical-surgical/pediatrics/telemetry/psychiatric units, and 1:5 for rehabilitation and skilled nursing units

Prohibits health care facilities from using mandatory overtime to meet staffing requirements, averaging patient-to-nurse ratios across shifts, using video cameras as substitutes for direct nurse observation, or terminating support staff positions to meet registered nurse ratios

Provides whistle-blower protections for nurses who refuse unsafe work assignments, prohibiting retaliation and creating a private cause of action in state court with remedies including reinstatement, lost wages, attorney fees, and other damages

Authorizes the Agency for Health Care Administration to impose civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation, with a mandatory minimum of $25,000 per violation for facilities found to have a pattern of noncompliance, with an effective date of January 1, 2025