1.1A bill for an act1.2relating to health; requiring a hospital staffing report; requiring a study on nurse 1.3staffing levels and patient outcomes; appropriating money.1.4BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:1.5    Section 1. STAFFING PLAN DISCLOSURE ACT.1.6    Subdivision 1.Definitions.(a) For the purposes of this section, the following terms 1.7have the meanings given.1.8(b) "Core staffing plan" means the projected number of full-time equivalent 1.9nonmanagerial care staff that will be assigned in a 24-hour period to an inpatient care unit.1.10(c) "Nonmanagerial care staff" means registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, 1.11and other health care workers, which may include but is not limited to nursing assistants, 1.12nursing aides, patient care technicians, and patient care assistants, who perform 1.13nonmanagerial direct patient care functions for more than 50 percent of their scheduled 1.14hours on a given patient care unit.1.15(d) "Inpatient care unit" means a designated inpatient area for assigning patients and 1.16staff for which a distinct staffing plan exists and that operates 24 hours per day, seven days 1.17per week in a hospital setting. Inpatient care unit does not include any hospital-based 1.18clinic, long-term care facility, or outpatient hospital department.1.19(e) "Staffing hours per patient day" means the number of full-time equivalent 1.20nonmanagerial care staff who will ordinarily be assigned to provide direct patient care 1.21divided by the expected average number of patients upon which such assignments are based.1.22(f) "Patient acuity tool" means a system for measuring an individual patient's need 1.23for nursing care. This includes utilizing a professional registered nursing assessment of 1.24patient condition to assess staffing need.2.1    Subd. 2.Hospital staffing report.(a) The chief nursing executive or nursing 2.2designee of every reporting hospital in Minnesota under Minnesota Statutes, section 2.3144.50, will develop a core staffing plan for each patient care unit.2.4(b) Core staffing plans shall specify the full-time equivalent for each patient care 2.5unit for each 24-hour period.2.6(c) Prior to submitting the core staffing plan, as required in subdivision 3, 2.7hospitals shall consult with representatives of the hospital medical staff, managerial and 2.8nonmanagerial care staff, and other relevant hospital personnel about the core staffing plan 2.9and the expected average number of patients upon which the staffing plan is based.2.10    Subd. 3.Standard electronic reporting developed.(a) Hospitals must submit 2.11the core staffing plans to the Minnesota Hospital Association by January 1, 2014. The 2.12Minnesota Hospital Association shall include each reporting hospital's core staffing plan on 2.13the Minnesota Hospital Association's Minnesota Hospital Quality Report Web site by April 2.141, 2014. Any substantial changes to the core staffing plan shall be updated within 30 days.2.15(b) The Minnesota Hospital Association shall include on its Web site for each 2.16reporting hospital on a quarterly basis the actual direct patient care hours per patient and 2.17per unit. Hospitals must submit the direct patient care report to the Minnesota Hospital 2.18Association by July 1, 2014, and quarterly thereafter.2.19    Sec. 2. STUDY.2.20The Department of Health shall convene a work group to consult with the department 2.21as they study the correlation between nurse staffing levels and patient outcomes. This report 2.22shall be presented to the chairs and ranking minority members of the health and human 2.23services committees in the house of representatives and the senate by January 15, 2015.2.24    Sec. 3. APPROPRIATIONS; NURSING STAFFING.2.25$187,000 in fiscal year 2014 and $65,000 in fiscal year 2015 are appropriated from 2.26the general fund to the commissioner of health for the completion of the study in section 2. 2.27This is a onetime appropriation.