To enact sections 3727.50 to 3727.57 of the Revised Code regarding hospital staffing guidelines for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses.

Section 1. That sections 3727.50, 3727.51, 3727.52, 3727.53, 3727.54, 3727.55, 3727.56, and 3727.57 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 3727.50.  As used in this section and sections 3727.51 to 3727.57 of the Revised Code:

(A) "Direct patient care" means care provided by a nurse with direct responsibility to carry out medical regimens or nursing care for one or more patients.

(B) "Inpatient care unit" means a hospital unit, including an operating room or other inpatient care area, in which nursing care is provided to patients who have been admitted to the hospital.

(C) "Nurse" means a person who is licensed to practice as a registered nurse under Chapter 4723. of the Revised Code or, if the hospital employs licensed practical nurses, a person who is licensed to practice as a licensed practical nurse under that chapter.

Sec. 3727.51. (A) Each hospital shall convene a hospital-wide nursing care committee not later than ninety days after the effective date of this section or, if the hospital is not treating patients on the effective date of this section, ninety days after the hospital begins to treat patients. The hospital shall select the members of the committee, subject to all of the following:

(1) The hospital's chief nursing officer shall be included as a member of the committee.

(2) At least fifty per cent of the committee's membership shall consist of registered nurses who provide direct patient care in the hospital.

(3) The number of registered nurses included as members of the committee shall be sufficient to provide adequate representation of all types of nursing care services provided in the hospital.

(B) The committee member who is the hospital's chief nursing officer shall establish a mechanism for obtaining input from nurses in all inpatient care units who provide direct patient care regarding what the nursing services staffing plan recommendations described in division (B) of section 3727.52 of the Revised Code should include.

Sec. 3727.52. A hospital-wide nursing care committee convened pursuant to section 3727.51 of the Revised Code shall do both of the following:

(A) If one exists, evaluate the hospital's current nursing services staffing plan;

(B) Recommend a nursing services staffing plan that is, at a minimum, consistent with current standards established by private accreditation organizations or governmental entities and addresses all of the following:

(1) The selection, implementation, and evaluation of minimum staffing levels for all inpatient care units that ensure that the hospital has a staff of competent nurses with the specialized skills needed to meet patient needs in accordance with evidence-based safe nurse staffing standards;

(2) The complexity of complete care, assessment on patient admission, volume of patient admissions, discharges and transfers, evaluation of the progress of a patient's problems, the amount of time needed for patient education, ongoing physical assessments, planning for a patient's discharge, assessment after a change in patient condition, and assessment of the need for patient referrals;

(3) Patient acuity and the number of patients for whom care is being provided;

(4) The need for ongoing assessments of a unit's patients and its nursing staff levels;

(5) The hospital's policy for identifying additional nurses who can provide direct patient care when patients' unexpected needs exceed the planned workload for direct care staff.

Sec. 3727.53.  (A) In accordance with division (B) of this section, each hospital shall create an evidence-based written nursing services staffing plan guiding the assignment of nurses hospital-wide. The staffing plan shall be implemented not later than ninety days after the hospital-wide nursing care committee is convened pursuant to section 3727.51 of the Revised Code, except that if the hospital's next fiscal year starts not later than one hundred eighty days after the date on which the committee convenes, implementation may be delayed until the first day of that fiscal year.

(B) The staffing plan created under this section shall, at a minimum, reflect current standards established by private accreditation organizations or governmental entities. The plan shall be based on multiple nurse and patient considerations that yield minimum staffing levels for inpatient care units that ensure that the hospital has a staff of competent nurses with specialized skills needed to meet patient needs. These considerations shall include both of the following:

(1) The recommendations of the hospital-wide nursing care committee made under section 3727.52 of the Revised Code, which shall be given significant consideration;

(2) All of the matters listed in divisions (B)(1) to (5) of section 3727.52 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 3727.54. At least once a year, the hospital-wide nursing care committee convened pursuant to section 3727.51 of the Revised Code shall do both of the following:

(A) Review how the most current nursing services staffing plan does all of the following:

(1) Affects inpatient care outcomes;

(2) Affects clinical management;

(3) Facilitates a delivery system that provides, on a cost-effective basis, quality nursing care consistent with acceptable and prevailing standards of safe nursing care and evidenced-based guidelines established by national nursing organizations.

(B) Make recommendations, based on the most recent review conducted under division (A) of this section, regarding how the most current nursing services staffing plan should be revised, if at all.

Sec. 3727.55. To provide staffing flexibility to meet patient needs, every hospital shall identify a model for adjusting the nursing services staffing plan created under section 3727.53 of the Revised Code for each inpatient care unit.

Sec. 3727.56. (A) A hospital shall provide copies of its nursing services staffing plan created under section 3727.53 of the Revised Code, in accordance with both of the following:

(1) Free of charge, a copy of the staffing plan and subsequent changes to the plan shall be provided to each member of the hospital's nursing staff.

(2) For a fee not to exceed actual copying costs, a copy of the staffing plan shall be provided to any person who requests it.

(B) In a conspicuous location in the hospital, a notice shall be posted informing the public of the availability of the staffing plan. The notice shall specify the appropriate person, office, or department to be contacted to review or obtain a copy of the staffing plan.

Sec. 3727.57. Nothing in sections 3727.50 to 3727.56 of the Revised Code shall be construed to limit, alter, or modify any of the terms, conditions, or provisions of a collective bargaining agreement entered into by a hospital.