Nurse and Patient Safety & Protection Act of 2007
Latest action · May 9, 2007 Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJan 10, 2007
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Nurse and Patient Safety & Protection Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Labor, acting through the Director of Occupational Safety and Health Administration, to establish a Federal Safe Patient Handling Standard to prevent musculoskeletal disorders for direct-care registered nurses and other health care providers working in health care facilities by requiring the elimination of manual lifting of patients through the use of mechanical devices, except during a declared state of emergency.
Requires health care facilities to: (1) develop and implement a safe patient handling plan consistent with such standard; and (2) post a uniform notice that explains the standard and the procedures to report patient handling-related injuries. Requires the Secretary to direct the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to conduct audits of plan implementation and compliance.
Authorizes health care providers to: (1) refuse to accept an assignment in a health care facility if the assignment would violate the standard or if such provider is not prepared to fulfill the assignment without compromising the patient safety or jeopardizing the provider's license; and (2) file complaints against facilities that violate this Act. Requires the Secretary to investigate complaints and to prohibit retaliation if violations occur. Prohibits health care facilities from retaliating with respect to employment against providers for such refusal or against any individual who in good faith reports a violation, participates in an investigation or proceeding, or discusses violations.
Authorizes health care providers who have been retaliated against in violation of this Act to bring a cause of action in a U.S. district court. Entitles providers that prevail to reinstatement, reimbursement of lost compensation, attorneys' fees, court costs, and/or other damages.
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a grant program for purchasing safe patient handling equipment for health care facilities.
Cosponsors 1
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Jun 3, 2008.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-PA | Joe Sestak | Jun 3, 2008 |
Committees 2
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| House | Education and Workforce Committee | Referred Jan 10, 2007 |
| Workforce Protections Subcommittee | Referred May 9, 2007 | |
| House | Energy and Commerce Committee | Referred Jan 10, 2007 |
| Health Subcommittee | Referred Feb 2, 2007 |
Actions 4
Everything that happened, newest first.
- May 9, 2007Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
- Feb 2, 2007Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Jan 10, 2007Introduced in House
- Jan 10, 2007Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- To direct the Secretary of Labor to issue an occupational safety and health standard to reduce injuries to patients, direct-care registered nurses, and other health care providers by establishing a safe patient handling standard.
- Short Titles as Introduced
- Nurse and Patient Safety & Protection Act of 2007
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Labor and Employment.
- Administrative procedure
- Administrative remedies
- Civil actions and liability
- Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
- Communication in medicine
- Damages
- Department of Labor
- Discrimination in employment
- Dismissal of employees
- Economics and Public Finance
- Employee rights
- Employee training
- Federal aid to health facilities
- Government Operations and Politics
- Government paperwork
- Government publicity
- Governmental investigations
- Grievance procedures
- Health
- Health facilities
- Health information systems
- Human engineering
- Labor and Employment
- Law
- Legal fees
- Medical personnel
- Medical statistics
- Medical supplies
- Medical technology
- Nurses
- Occupational health and safety
- Planning
- Risk
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Signs and signboards
- Standards
- Technological innovations
- Technology assessment
- Transfer of employees
- Wage restitution
- Whistle blowing
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Jan 10, 2007Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
