5459565 Public Hearing on B21-132, Safe Working Conditions for Healthcare Workers Amendment Act of 2015

Council of the District of Columbia

Committee on Business, Consumer, and Regulatory Affairs,

Notice of a Public Hearing

                                                                                                           

John A. Wilson Building   1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 119    Washington, DC 20004                                  

 

Councilmember Vincent B. Orange, Sr., Chair

Committee on Business, Consumer, and Regulatory Affairs

 

Announces a Public Hearing

 

 on

 

·        B21-0132, the “Safe Working Conditions for Healthcare Workers Amendment Act of 2015”

 

 

Thursday, June 11, 2015, 9:00 A.M.

John A. Wilson Building, Room 500

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20004

 

Councilmember Vincent B. Orange, Sr., announces the scheduling of a public hearing by the Committee on Business, Consumer, and Regulatory Affairs, on B21-0132, the “Safe Working Conditions for Healthcare Workers Amendment Act of 2015”.  The public hearing is scheduled for Thursday, June 11, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. in Room 500 of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20004. 

 

B21-0132, the “Safe Working Conditions for Healthcare Workers Amendment Act of 2015”, would require that acute care hospitals, special hospitals, or psychiatric hospitals submit a staffing plan to the Department of Health within one year of the effective date as well establish and implement an acuity system to determine the level of nurse staffing necessary. Acuity staffing models determine a shift's staffing needs based on the complexity of the patients' level of care. The legislation requires that the Department of Health set minimum levels of nurse staffing and registered nurse staff ratios for schools. Among other things, this bill also provides an enforcement mechanism; whistleblower and patient protection rights and private causes of action; for efforts by UDC-CC to increase the number of nursing graduates and seek funding to develop nurse training opportunities. 

 

Individuals and representatives of organizations who wish to testify at the public hearing are asked to contact Faye Caldwell of the Committee on Business, Consumer, and Regulatory Affairs at [phone] or by email at [e-mail] and provide their name(s), address, telephone number, email address and organizational affiliation, if any, by close of business Monday, June 8, 2015.  Each witness is requested to bring 20 copies of his/her written testimony. Representatives of organizations and government agencies will be limited to 5 minutes in order to permit each witness an opportunity to be heard. Individual witnesses will be limited to 3 minutes.

 

If you are unable to testify at the public hearing, written statements are encouraged and will be made a part of the official record. The official record will remain open until close of business Thursday, June 25, 2015.  Copies of written statements should be submitted to the Committee on Business, Consumer, and Regulatory Affairs, Council of the District of Columbia, Suite 119 of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004.