MN HF1700

Establishes hospital nurse staffing committees (at least 35% direct care nurses, 15% other care workers) and hospital nurse workload committees for each unit to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based core staffing plans with quarterly reporting to the commissioner beginning October 1, 2025.

Requires hospitals to publicly post core staffing plans and compliance notices on units and in patient rooms, with commissioners grading hospital compliance starting January 1, 2026, and publicly disclosing grades beginning January 1, 2027.

Prohibits hospitals from retaliating against nurses who refuse additional patient assignments if they determine it creates unsafe conditions, and allows $250,000 fines for substantiated retaliation by the commissioner of labor and industry.

Expands hospital violence prevention requirements including annual action plan reviews, assessment of workplace violence hazards, staff training on de-escalation, and policies prohibiting security personnel from affiliating with white supremacist or extremist groups.

Establishes hospital nursing education loan forgiveness program for nurses employed by nonprofit hospitals enrolled in the PSLF program, modifies nursing facility employee scholarship eligibility to include child care costs, and appropriates $10 million annually for grants to improve mental health of health care workers.