Washington state's new healthcare staffing law was signed by the governor in April 2023. The law focuses on recommending staffing standards to hospital leadership by hospital staffing committees.
Here is where things stand today.
The state's prior staffing law from 2008 required a committee of administrators and nurses to create a staffing plan each year. The committees now include other staff such as certified nursing assistants and ER technicians, the Kitsap Sun reported Aug. 30.
The expanded committees were to be formed by Jan. 1, 2024. Under the new law, their first staffing plans must be submitted to the state's Department of Health by Jan. 1, 2025, and annually thereafter. Tracking of staffing plan compliance is required monthly, starting July 2025.
Proposed staffing plans were due to hospital CEOs on July 1. This is when formal compliance tracking of uninterrupted break requirements also began, according to the Washington State Hospital Association.
Urban/system hospitals have earlier compliance deadlines and noncompliance penalty dates than rural/critical access hospitals, according to the hospital association.
Financial penalties can be levied on hospitals with less than 80% compliance of required meal and rest breaks, beginning July 1, 2026, for urban/system hospitals and July 1, 2028, for rural/critical access care hospitals.