Victory for Hospital Patients, Nursing Home Residents, Nurses and Healthcare Workers as Governor Signs Two Landmark Staffing Laws

In a giant step forward for all New York patients, nursing home residents, nurses and healthcare workers, legal mandates are now in place to set and enforce staffing standards at every hospital and nursing home in New York, regardless of whether the facility is public or private, not-for-profit or for-profit, union or non-union.

The pair of landmark laws signed by Governor Cuomo last Friday are the Hospital Clinical Staffing Committees and Disclosure bill (A108B/S1168A) and the Standard Minimum Nursing Home Staffing Levels bill (A7119/S6346). The laws bring greater accountability and transparency to the healthcare system and are set to go into effect in January 2022.

The unprecedented challenges brought forth by the pandemic—including barebones staffing, PPE, and equipment that stretched the frontlines to the breaking point—made healthcare workers demand change more forcefully than ever before and NYSNA, 1199SEIU and CWA District 1 worked together to fight for the legislation's passage. Read more here and here.