HB 725 -- Patient Safety

Sponsor:  LeVota

This bill requires each licensed hospital to create a nursing
advisory board to establish and implement a standardized
acuity-based patient classification system within six months of
the bill's effective date for each direct-care unit in the
hospital.  The Department of Health and Senior Services is
required to establish, monitor, and manage each advisory board.

By January 1, 2011, all hospitals must meet minimum direct-care
registered nurse-to-patient ratios as specified for various units
within a hospital.  As a condition of licensing, each hospital
must annually submit to the department a staffing plan with a
written certification that the hospital is in compliance with the
established acuity-based nurse-to-patient ratios which
accomplishes specified requirements.

The department can suspend or revoke any hospital's license for
failure to comply with an order arising from a noncompliance.  A
person or entity that falsifies a document that is required to be
filed with the department under the provisions of the bill will
be guilty of a class C misdemeanor.  Hospitals can be fined up to
$25,000 per violation for failing to follow a daily written nurse
staffing plan.  The fines collected will be deposited into the
Health Initiatives Fund to provide moneys to any in-state school
of nursing to increase faculty, grant scholarships, or assist
licensed practical nurses in becoming registered nurses.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated November 17, 2009 at 9:25 am