Lawmakers introduce health-care safe staffing standards legislation

This week, Sen. June Robinson (D-Everett) and Rep. Marcus Riccelli (D-Spokane) introduced bipartisan legislation to create new safe staffing standards for hospitals in Washington. The WA Safe + Healthy coalition supports the legislation, which it said would help protect health-care workers and ensure patients get the care they deserve.

Also supporting the bill in the House are Reps. Strom Peterson, Lillian Ortiz-Self, Lauren Davis, and Cindy Ryu, all who represent Edmonds.

Last month, as The Beacon reported, UFCW 21, SEIU Healthcare 1199NW and the Washington State Nurses Association – which collectively represent more than 71,000 health-care workers in the state – launched the WA Safe + Healthy campaign calling on lawmakers in Olympia to pass legislation to deal with the unprecedented burnout and unsafe work conditions health-care workers are facing.