Home

Legislative Action Center

NYAHSA Home  »  LAC Home  »  State Budget Key Legislation

Legacy DocID# 32106701

The Assembly is prepared to pass legislation, A.1898-A sponsored by Assemblywoman Gunther, which would prohibit health care employers, including nursing homes and home care providers, from requiring registered professional nurses or licensed practical nurses to work more than eight consecutive hours or forty hours in a week, except as regularly scheduled. The only instances in which an employer could require overtime are: to address health care disasters, natural disasters, mass casualty incidents or other events that cannot be reasonable planned for; or when a state of emergency is declared by the federal, state or county government in the county in which the employer is located. Refusal to work overtime would not be considered patient abandonment and would not constitute professional misconduct. Nurses would continue to be able to work overtime on a voluntary basis.

NYAHSA has issued a memo of opposition on this legislation and is actively engaging key lawmakers and staff, but the legislation has been moving through the Assembly Committee process without objection or discussion.  A similar bill, S.125 sponsored by Senator Morahan, has been advanced to the Senate Floor Calendar.  Although the bills do not currently match, the labor unions are placing great pressure on the Senate to amend their bill and pass it before the end of session on June 21st.

It is extremely important that your state legislators hear from you immediately.  Please call today and express your opposition to this legislation, and explain how it would affect quality of care and access to services at your facility.

Click here and here to view NYAHSA’s memo in opposition for each of the bills.  Please forward this to your elected officials as well.  You can find contact information on your Senator and Assembly member on the United Voices page of the NYAHSA Web site at: http://www.nyahsa.org/lac/.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at 518-449-2707, ext.121 or aschnauber@nyahsa.org.