MD SB720

Licensed hospitals (excluding state hospitals) must establish clinical staffing committees with equal representation from management and employees, including certified nursing assistants, dietary aides, emergency room nurses, environmental service workers, physicians/residents, and technicians

Committees must develop clinical staffing plans that set nurse-to-patient ratios by unit and determine staffing levels for registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, CNAs, and ancillary staff for each shift, based on national evidence-based standards where practicable

Hospitals must conduct annual reviews of staffing plans by July 1 each year to evaluate effectiveness, update as needed, and maintain a complaint resolution process for staff who report deviations from the plan

Staffing plans must be posted in publicly visible areas on each patient unit, made available upon request, and published on the hospital's website

Implementation timeline: committees must be established by January 1, 2026; staffing plans developed by July 1, 2026; effective date October 1, 2025