Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act of 2013

Bill: 113-hr-2480
Sponsor: Rep. Conyers, John, Jr. [D-MI-13]
Introduced: 2013-06-25 in the House
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Department of Labor
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Health care quality
Health facilities and institutions
Health personnel
Health technology, devices, supplies
Labor-management relations
Medicaid
Medicare
Musculoskeletal and skin diseases
Nursing
Worker safety and health

Summary:
action_date: 2013-06-25
text: 
Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of Labor to promulgate an interim final standard on safe patient handling, mobility, and injury prevention to prevent musculoskeletal disorders for direct-care registered nurses and all other health care workers that requires the use of engineering and safety controls to handle patients through the use of mechanical technology and devices where feasible. Requires, however, the use of alternative controls and measures, including trained, designated lift teams, where such technology and devices are not feasible, in order to minimize the risk of injury to nurses and health care workers.
 
Includes among the requirements of a final standard that health care employers: (1) develop and implement a safe patient handling, mobility, and injury prevention program; (2) train their workers on safe patient handling, mobility, and injury prevention; and (3) post a uniform notice that explains the standard, procedures to report patient handling-related injuries, and workers' rights under this Act. Requires the Secretary to conduct unscheduled inspections to ensure compliance with the standard.
 
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to apply the safe patient handling, mobility, and injury prevention standard to hospitals receiving Medicare funds.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-07-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2013-07-08
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
action_date: 2013-06-28
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2013-06-25
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2013-06-25
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2013-06-25
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2013-06-25
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E963-964)
action_date: 2013-06-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2013-06-25
text: Introduced in House