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The Voice of Nursing Leadership in Pennsylvania

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Ponl legislation and advocacy

Take Action and Contact Your Legislator Today!

As you now know, the House passed the Nurse Ratio Bill, by a vote of 119-84.  

Now the bill will go to the Senate and discussions could potentially begin in September. Some states that had similar deiscussions regarding ratios came away without a Ratio Bill, but rather an agreement that staffing committees would be established in their hospitals.

Read the AONL Position Statement regarding staffing ratios here.

We need some information from YOU! Using this link, please tell us if your hospital has a staffing committee or not - it will take you less than two minutes and will help us know how to best serve you. We welcome any additional detail you can provide us, too!

During the summer I urge all of us to contact our State Senators since they could be more available at their home offices. If you do not know who your legislators are, please use this handy link to find out: Find Your Legislators. Thank you for your advocacy on this very critical issue.

Please make use of the talking points supporting our stance that can be found on the Legislative page of the PONL website.

If you have additional questions, please contact Rosa Hickey by email or phone at 717-487-0911.

Rosa Hickey, MSN, RN, NEA-BC | PONL Legislative Committee Chair

House HEALTH Committee Vote meeting June 6, 2023 HB106 Patient Safety Act of 2023, Sponsored by Mehaffie, Tomlinson, and  Kosierowski  Regular Session 2023-2024 House Bill 0106 P.N. 1462 (state.pa.us)

YouTube video of live-streamed House HEALTH Committee mtg 6/6/2023:  https://pahouse.com/live#Health

Bills in the Pennsylvania Legislature during the 118th Legislative Session (2023-2024)

1. Nurse Staffing Practices & Ratios

PONL Opposes HB 106 “The Patient Safety Act” (Mehaffie, Tomlinson & Kosierowski) & The Patient Safety Act (Senator Collett)

PONL is strongly committed to nurse staffing practices that support the provision of safe patient care. PONL endorses the autonomy of each healthcare organization to establish appropriate strategies to deliver high levels of patient care by providing safe, effective, and collaborative staffing practices. PONL is adamantly opposed to any legislation that would mandate nurse-to-patient ratios for all heath care organizations.

Read PONL's Position Statement on Nurse Staffing Practices & Ratios (updated April 2023).

2. Telemedicine

PONL Supports

    3. Full Practice Authority for Nurse Practitioners

    PONL Supports

    • SB 25 (Bartolotta and Boscolo [Senate])

    View more details and provide your support.

    Workplace Violence Bills Introduced to U.S. Congress

    PONL Supports 

    •  H.R.2584 Safety from Violence for Healthcare Employees (SAVE) Act.   Dean [D-PA-4]   | Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary, April 13, 2023
    PONL Does Not Support
    • S.1176 Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act Baldwin [D-WI]   | Referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, April 18, 2023
    • H.R. 2663 Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act Courtney [D-CT-2] | Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means, April 18, 2023


    PONL Monitoring

    1. Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) Not yet implemented

    Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) Act 68 of 2021 (formerly SB 115) | Passed into law on July 1, 2021.

    Eligible RNs and LPNs can obtain a multistate nursing license to practice in other NLC states. Effective immediately.*

    Implementation process yet to be completed by the State Board of Nursing. 

    *"...To date, the Board is awaiting a response from the FBI and is actively working on draft regulations and exploring changes to the licensure system..."

      PONL Legislative Committee Members

      Rosa Hickey, Chair
      Andrew Thum, Co-Chair

      Committee Members:

      • Carol Amann
      • Angela Brown
      • Heidi Dewitt Zedlar
      • Fiona Felton
      • Tina Roma Fisher
      • Denise Frasca
      • Carol Ann Gioia
      • Kimberly Kennedy



      • Jessica Lazzeri
      • Deborah Lidey
      • Joan Madalone
      • Jessica Nardi
      • Mary O'Connor
      • Glenn Repko
      • Kathy Sankovich
      • Deb Thompson
      • Cathy Weidman
      © Pennsylvania Organization of Nurse Leaders

      461 Cochran Road #246

      Pittsburgh, PA 15228

      admin@ponl.net

      412-343-2437


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