S. 5319 Congress 119 session
Nurse Overtime and Patient Safety Act
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. The bill also establishes (1) certain protections for nurses who file complaints against providers, (2) documentation and notice requirements for providers, and (3) potential civil penalties for violations.
Status
- Introduced
- Committee
- Floor vote
- Passed
- Enacted
In committee — last recorded action August 6, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Passage likelihood
7% Much lower than most bills at this stage
This is an estimate, not a guarantee. It is computed from the signals listed below and nothing else. It does not account for leadership priorities, floor scheduling, or negotiations that are not in the public record.
What the estimate is based on
- Historical base rate About 4% of introduced federal bills are enacted.
- Current stage Referred to committee.
- Cosponsors 3 cosponsors.
State-level impact
State-level impact data is not available for this bill. The source text does not contain a per-state funding formula or scored breakdown, so no figures are shown.
Official actions
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- Introduced in Senate