[NRSKarenRN]

Track PA Legislation here: Electronic Billroom


House Bill 834, Senate Bill TBA imposing powers & duties on the Department of Labor & Industry: would prohibit hospitals and other health facilities from requiring nurses to accept work in excess of their regularly scheduled work shift, or in excess of 80 hours in a two-week period. Nurses would be permitted to accept overtime voluntarily, but could not be dismissed or punished for not accepting overtime.


HB 171 Amends the Health Care Facilities Act, further providing for purposes & duties of the Dept. of Health, for admin & licensure; for public disclosure of staffing requirements; for license standards; & for medical assistance payments. Sets specific patient-to-nurse staffing ratios based on the type of care needed in a particular hospital or care unit. Ratios would range from 1:1 in emergency trauma room and OR; 1:2 in critical care, PACU and L+D units; 1:3 ED; 1:4 Med Surg/ Acute Psych; 1:5 Rehab, up to 1:6 in postpartum and well-baby nursery units.
Solobay’s legislation includes grant programs to encourage more students in nursing education programs.

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HB 834 Bans mandatory overtime for nurses supported by PA State Nurses Association and nursing unions: PASNAP and SEIU Healthcare/Nurse Alliance
Passed in House by a vote of (166-31), now stalled in the PA Senate.

Help bring it out of committee.

SEIU link: February 20, 2008
Now is the time to remind your Senator to protect patient care in Pennsylvania. You can send your senator a message here.

Senator Pileggi represents the Ninth Senatorial District, which includes parts of Chester and Delaware Counties.....he doesn't think MOT is a problem in his district as 3 facilites have PASNAP contracts with clauses prohibiitng MOT; please help educate him on the facts if your in his district.

[adamsmom]

Karen
What point is the HB171? Who would I have to write and when it is up for votes?
I live in Chester County
Thank
Lee D

[NRSKarenRN]

By clicking on the legeslation number, it takes one to the PA house bill website to show you where legislation is assigned.

HB 171 was assigned to HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES committee, Feb. 1, 2007 for review.

What needs to be done?
a. Contact your legislators regarding your support or opposition to bill.

They want to hear from constituents before taking a stand. I've found that they especially listen to "in the treanches" constituents...... who write periodically on varying issues----it shows we are watching their voting record with regards to whom we'll re-elect

Legislative contacts can be found @ bill site:
"Send Comments to Members of the: House Senate "

b. Contact sponsors of bill hopefully thanking them for bill introduction or why your oppposed....language that needs to be added to strengthen, or clean up bill, etc.

c. Contact members of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES committee to encourage them to review, send to house membership for vote.

Link at PA House website lists committees Standing Committees
Click on committee name for list of members: Health & Human Services