Nurse Overtime and Patient Safety Act of 2026

This bill says that hospitals and certain other healthcare facilities that participate in Medicare must follow rules about how much overtime nurses can be required to work. Nurses cannot be forced to work more than their scheduled shift, more than 48 hours in a week, or more than 12 hours in a row, and they must get at least 10 hours off after working a 12-hour shift. These limits include time spent in training or on call, but they don't apply during declared emergencies, and nurses can still choose to work extra hours on their own. The bill also protects nurses who file complaints about violations, requires facilities to keep records and notify nurses of their rights, and allows civil penalties for facilities that break the rules.

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