Nurse Overtime and Patient Safety Act
Introduced Aug 6, 2026 by Sen. Jeff Merkley
It's waiting on a committee vote to reach the full chamber. Most bills never leave this stage.
Nurse Overtime and Patient Safety Act
This bill requires certain providers, as a condition of Medicare participation, to limit mandatory overtime for nurses.
Specifically, the bill prohibits hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, home health agencies, rural health clinics, federally qualified health centers, and other specified providers from requiring nurses to work (1) more than a previously scheduled shift, 48 hours in a workweek, or 12 consecutive hours in a 24-hour period; or (2) during the 10 hours immediately following the 12th hour worked in a shift during a 24-hour period.
Qualifying work hours include time spent in training, on call, and on standby. The bill's provisions do not apply during declared emergencies or disasters, subject to specified conditions, and do not preclude voluntary overtime.
Read the full summary on Congress.govSummary by the Congressional Research Service.
No floor votes yet — it hasn't reached the floor of either chamber.