HB 624 Maryland House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Hospitals - Clinical Staffing Committees and Plans - Establishment (Safe Staffing Act of 2026)

HB 624 (Safe Staffing Act of 2026) requires most Maryland hospitals to establish clinical staffing committees with equal management and employee representation, including specific frontline staff like nursing assistants and dietary aides. These committees must develop annual staffing plans considering patient acuity, staffing gaps, and evidence-based standards, then post the plans publicly and update them yearly. Hospitals must implement these plans starting in 2028, allow staff to file complaints about violations, and report annually to the Maryland Health Care Commission beginning in 2030. The law directly affects licensed hospitals and frontline healthcare workers by mandating structured, transparent staffing processes to address patient care needs.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Apr 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Apr 2026

Senate Passage

Apr 2026

Signed into Law

Apr 2026

Introduced Jan 30, 2026 Signed Apr 28, 2026

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What changed between versions

Third - Hospitals - Staffing Committees and Plans - Establishment (Safe Staffing Act of 2026) → Enrolled - Hospitals - Clinical Staffing Committees and Plans - Establishment (Safe Staffing Act of 2026) · 6 edits · Apr 28, 2026

MODERATE

The bill transitioned from a House draft to an Enrolled version, incorporating significant substantive changes to staffing requirements. Key modifications include the addition of specific staffing standards based on hospital bed size, a new requirement for the Chief Nursing Executive to draft the staffing plan, and the inclusion of patient advocacy roles in the committee. The text also contains numerous formatting errors and repetitive phrasing, likely resulting from the amendment process.

Scope change

The bill's applicability remains the same (licensed hospitals), but the specific operational requirements for staffing committees and plans have been expanded and altered.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement for the Chief Nursing Executive to produce a draft clinical staffing plan before submission to the committee.

Changed the committee composition requirements to include specific numbers of managers and employees based on whether the hospital has 150 or fewer beds versus 151 or more beds.

Added a new category of required committee members: an employee whose duties include patient advocacy.

Added a requirement for the staffing plan to comply with specific federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) conditions of participation.

DEFINITION

Modified the definition of 'Ancillary Member of the Frontline Team' to include a licensed nurse in the emergency room instead of an emergency room nurse.

TECHNICAL

The text contains numerous instances of repetitive phrasing (e.g., 'clinical clinical staffing') and formatting inconsistencies, indicating extensive editing during the legislative process.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 24, 2026 · House of Delegates Mar 28, 2026

How they voted

44–0

Passed · 5 other

Total votes 49

Mar 24, 2026

D Democratic36

33 Yea 3

91% Yea

R Republican13

11 Yea 2

84% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 28, 2026

Signed into law

Approved by the Governor - Chapter 236

executive

Apr 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed Enrolled

lower

Apr 11, 2026

Lower · Passed

Third Reading Passed

lower

Apr 11, 2026

Introduced

House Concurs Senate Amendments

lower

Apr 10, 2026

Upper · Passed

Third Reading Passed

upper

Apr 10, 2026

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

upper

Apr 10, 2026

Upper · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Finance

upper

Mar 28, 2026

House Of Delegates · Passed

House of Delegates Vote: pass (97-35-10)

house of delegates

Mar 24, 2026

Senate · Passed

Senate Vote: pass (44-0-5)

senate

Mar 23, 2026

Committee

Referred Finance

upper

Mar 21, 2026

Lower · Passed

Third Reading Passed

lower

Mar 20, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments {

lower

Mar 20, 2026

Lower · Passed

Favorable with Amendments Report by Health

lower

Jan 30, 2026

Committee

First Reading Health

lower

22 primary · 0 co-sponsors