New Jersey A 2418: Establishes temporary mortgage relief and foreclosure prevention programs for certain property owners impacted by Superstorm Sandy.

Bill Text

A2418 

ASSEMBLY, No. 2418 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman TENNILLE R. MCCOY

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Assemblywoman� KATIE BRENNAN

District 32 (Hudson)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Danielsen

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires hospitals to establish nurse staffing 
committees.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

�� 

An Act concerning nurse staffing committees at 
hospitals and supplementing Title 26 of the Revised 
Statutes.

���� Be It 
Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� The Legislature finds 
and declares that:

���� a.���� The State of New Jersey 
has a substantial interest in promoting quality care and improving the delivery 
of health care services; 

���� b.��� Evidenced-based studies 
have shown that adequate nurse staffing based on research findings and the 
intensity of patient care is directly related to positive patient outcomes, 
such as reducing errors and complications; 

���� c.���� Appropriate staffing of 
hospital personnel, including registered nurses, can also improve staff safety 
and satisfaction, and reduce incidences of workplace injuries; 

���� d.��� Hospitals and nurses 
share a mutual interest in patient safety initiatives that create a healthy 
environment for nurses and appropriate care for patients; and

���� e.���� In order to protect 
patients, support greater retention of registered nurses, and promote adequate 
nurse staffing, it is in the State�s interest to establish a mechanism whereby 
nurses and hospital management shall participate in a joint process regarding 
decisions about nurse staffing.

���� 2.��� As 
used in this act: 

���� "Hospital" 
means a hospital that is licensed pursuant to P.L.1971, c.136 (C.26:2H-1 et 
seq.).

���� "Intensity" 
means the level of patient need for nursing care, as determined by the nursing 
assessment.

���� "Nursing 
personnel" means registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and 
unlicensed assistive nursing personnel providing direct patient care.

���� "Nurse 
staffing committee" means the committee established by a hospital pursuant 
to section 3 of this act. 

���� "Patient 
care unit" means any unit or area of the hospital that provides patient 
care by registered nurses.

���� "Skill 
mix" means the number and relative percentages of registered nurses, 
licensed practical nurses, and unlicensed assistive personnel among the total 
number of nursing personnel.

���� �Unforeseeable 
emergency circumstance" means any unforeseen national, State, or municipal 
emergency; when a hospital disaster plan is activated; any unforeseen disaster 
or other catastrophic event that substantially affects or increases the need 
for health care services; or when a hospital is diverting patients to another 
hospital or hospitals for treatment or the hospital is receiving patients who 
are from another hospital or hospitals.

���� 3.��� a.� The Department of 
Health shall require a hospital, as a condition of 
licensure, to establish a nurse staffing committee, either by creating a new 
committee or assigning the functions of a nurse staffing committee to an 
existing committee.� At least 55 percent of the members of the nurse staffing 
committee shall be registered nurses currently providing direct patient care at 
the hospital, and no more than 45 percent of the members of the committee shall 
be hospital administrative staff. �The 
selection of the registered nurses shall be according to the collective 
bargaining agreement, if there is one in effect at the hospital. �If there is 
no applicable collective bargaining agreement, the members of the nurse 
staffing committee who are registered nurses shall be selected by their peers.� 
The members of the nurse staffing committee who are hospital administrative 
staff shall be appointed by the hospital�s chief executive officer.

���� b.��� Participation in the nurse staffing committee by a hospital employee 
shall be on scheduled work time and compensated at the appropriate rate of pay. 
�Nurse staffing committee members shall be relieved of all other work duties 
during meetings of the committee.

���� c.���� Primary responsibilities of the nurse staffing committee shall include:

���� (1)�� The development and oversight of an annual patient care unit and 
shift-based nurse staffing plan, which shall be based on the needs of patients, 
and which shall be used as the primary component of the staffing budget. �The 
nurse staffing plan shall establish upwardly adjustable minimum ratios of 
direct care registered nurses to patients for each unit and for each shift of 
the hospital.� Factors to be considered in the development of the nurse 
staffing plan shall include, but need not be limited to:

���� (i)��� hospital census data, including total numbers of patients on the 
unit on each shift; 

����