JOINT RESOLUTION CREATING A SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE COMMISSION TO STUDY SAFE STAFFING RATIOS IN HOSPITALS .

Commission to study safe hospital staffing

This law creates a 15-member commission to study safe staffing in Rhode Island hospitals. Members include three House and three Senate lawmakers. It also includes hospital direct-care staff, with one from a specialty hospital. Hospital administrators, two labor union reps, a patient advocate, the Health Director, and the Attorney General also serve. The Speaker and Senate President make the appointments, and a public member may serve instead of a legislator. Members get no pay or reimbursement. All state agencies must give the commission the records and advice it needs. Legislative staff provide office space and clerical help. The commission reports to the General Assembly every quarter starting September 1, 2026, and files a final report by September 1, 2027. It studies patient safety, workforce impacts, costs, best practices, and how hospitals meet the Joint Commission’s 2026 nurse staffing goal. The commission ends January 30, 2028.