# Maryland HB 0624: Hospitals - Clinical Staffing Committees and Plans - Establishment (Safe Staffing Act of 2026)

Maryland HB 0624, Hospitals - Clinical Staffing Committees and Plans - Establishment (Safe Staffing Act of 2026), is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Jennifer White Holland (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-28 (Approved by the Governor - Chapter 236) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0624-2026RS
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Maryland HB 0624
- State: Maryland
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Hospitals - Clinical Staffing Committees and Plans - Establishment (Safe Staffing Act of 2026)
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-30
- Last action: 2026-04-28, Approved by the Governor - Chapter 236
- Sponsor: Jennifer White Holland (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 22
- Subjects: Public Health, Committees and Commissions, Complaints, Dietitians and Nutritionists, Electronic Government, Emergencies -see also- Pandemics, Evaluations and Reviews, Health -see also- COVID19; EnvHlth; MedCon; etc., Health Care Commission, Health Occupations -see also- (specific health occupations), Hospitals -see also- Clinics; State Hospitals, Internet -see also- Internet Access, Notices, Nurses -see also- Nurse Practitioners; Nursing Assistants, Nursing Assistants, Patients, Physicians -see also- MedExmnrs; Pediatr; Psychiatrists etc., Plans and Proposals, Public Information, Reports, Standards and Best Practices, Work, Labor, and Employment -see also- JobTrn; Leave; etc.
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 3 (232 yes, 68 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 3

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Hospitals must run staffing committees and plans: benefit, medium. Hospitals must set up a Clinical Staffing Committee by July 1, 2027. If the hospital has 150 or fewer beds, the committee has 3 managers and 2 employees. If it has 151 or more beds, it has 5 managers and 4 employees. The chief nurse writes a draft staffing plan and gives it to the committee. The co…
- State hospitals exempt from new staffing rules: cost, low. State‑owned or state‑operated hospitals are exempt from the new staffing committee and staffing plan rules. This exemption starts October 1, 2026. Patients and workers at state hospitals do not get these new protections; other hospitals must still follow them.
- Staffing plans must follow federal CMS rules: mixed, medium. The law requires hospitals to follow staffing standards set by their accreditor and by federal CMS Conditions of Participation. Clinical staffing plans must match those standards starting October 1, 2026. The law also says these rules do not force hospitals to do anything that conflicts with CMS or…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Jennifer White Holland (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Jackie Addison (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Nick Allen (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Tiffany T. Alston (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Heather Bagnall (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Harry Bhandari (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Adrian Boafo (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Regina T. Boyce (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Bonnie Cullison (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Kris Fair (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Pam Lanman Guzzone (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Terri L. Hill (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Aaron M. Kaufman (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Lesley J. Lopez (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Ashanti Martinez (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Aletheia McCaskill (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Cheryl E. Pasteur (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Samuel I. Rosenberg (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Kim Ross (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Vaughn Stewart (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Deni Taveras (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Jamila J. Woods (Democratic), House
- Cosponsor: Teresa Woorman (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-11 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 96 | 35 | 4 |
| 2026-04-10 | Senate | Third Reading Passed | pass | 42 | 0 | 2 |
| 2026-03-21 | House | Third Reading Passed | pass | 94 | 33 | 6 |

## Actions (17)

- 2026-04-28: Approved by the Governor - Chapter 236
- 2026-04-11: Passed Enrolled (House)
- 2026-04-11: Third Reading Passed (96-35) (House)
- 2026-04-11: House Concurs Senate Amendments (House)
- 2026-04-10: Third Reading Passed (42-0) (Senate)
- 2026-04-10: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (Senate)
- 2026-04-10: Favorable with Amendments {133124/1 Adopted (Senate)
- 2026-04-10: Favorable with Amendments Report by Finance (Senate)
- 2026-03-23: Referred Finance (Senate)
- 2026-03-21: Third Reading Passed (94-33) (House)
- 2026-03-20: Second Reading Passed with Amendments (House)
- 2026-03-20: Favorable with Amendments {933025/1 Adopted (House)
- 2026-03-20: Favorable with Amendments Report by Health (House)
- 2026-02-05: Hearing 2/18 at 1:30 p.m. (House)
- 2026-02-05: Hearing canceled (House)
- 2026-02-04: Hearing 2/18 at 1:00 p.m. (House)
- 2026-01-30: First Reading Health (House)

## Bill text

- Enacted, 2026-04-28: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_236_hb0624e.pdf)
- Enrolled, 2026-04-11: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0624e.pdf)
- Third Reading, 2026-03-20: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0624t.pdf)
- First Reading, 2026-01-30: [PDF](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0624f.pdf)

## Related bills

- SB 0496: Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Coverage for the Treatment of Obesity - Authorization (became law)
- SB 0366: Motor Vehicles - Intelligent Speed Assistance System Pilot Program - Establishment (became law)
- SB 0244: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program (became law)
- SB 0148: Income Tax - Credit for 9-1-1 Specialist Retirement Income (Supporting Our 9-1-1 Specialists Act) (became law)
- SB 0016: Child Support - Earnings Withholdings Limits (became law)
- HB 0529: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program (became law)

## Sources
- [Enacted (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/Chapters_noln/CH_236_hb0624e.pdf)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0624e.pdf)
- [Third Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0624t.pdf)
- [First Reading (PDF)](https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2026RS/bills/hb/hb0624f.pdf)

## Related
- [SB 0496: Maryland Medical Assistance Program - Coverage for the Treatment of Obesity - A…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0496-2026RS)
- [SB 0366: Motor Vehicles - Intelligent Speed Assistance System Pilot Program - Establishm…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0366-2026RS)
- [SB 0244: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0244-2026RS)
- [SB 0148: Income Tax - Credit for 9-1-1 Specialist Retirement Income (Supporting Our 9-1-…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0148-2026RS)
- [SB 0016: Child Support - Earnings Withholdings Limits](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-SB0016-2026RS)
- [HB 0529: Code Revision - Health - Maryland Medical Assistance Program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0529-2026RS)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MD-HB0624-2026RS (as of 2026-10-19).