Michigan Senate Bans Mandatory Nurse Overtime in Bipartisan Push for Patient Safety

Michigan Senate Passes Bill to Ban Mandatory Nurse Overtime

LANSING, MI – The Michigan Senate voted 21-16 on Wednesday to pass two bills that would ban mandatory overtime for registered nurses, marking a significant shift in state healthcare policy.

The legislation, Senate Bill 296 and Senate Bill 297, represents a bipartisan effort to protect nurse health and patient safety during an industry already facing workforce shortages.

The Bills Would Restrict Hospital Overtime Practices

SB 296, sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, would amend the state public health code to prohibit hospitals from requiring registered professional nurses to work beyond their regularly scheduled or on-call hours.

The ban would not apply during declared state emergencies. However, the legislation allows hospitals to require nurses to work an additional two-hour period if they could not be relieved due to unexpected circumstances. Rural hospitals would be allowed to require up to four additional hours.

SB 297, sponsored by Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan, establishes financial penalties for violations. Hospitals face a $1,000 fine for a first violation, $2,500 for a second violation within three years, $5,000 for a third violation, and $10,000 for a fourth or subsequent violation.

The Bills Include Additional Protections

The legislation would require hospitals to provide nurses with eight consecutive hours of off-duty time following a 12-hour shift. Nurses could waive up to four hours of this required time in a 72-hour period if they choose.

The bills would take effect on June 1, 2027, with exemptions for existing collective bargaining agreements.

Why This Matters

Current state law provides no limit on the number of hours a registered nurse can be ordered to work. Rep. Chang compared the situation to government limits on working hours for truck drivers, airline pilots, and locomotive drivers.

"The same should be the case for nurses, who provide direct and hands-on care in our hospitals," Chang said. "This bill simply aims to set safe limits on working hours."

Aaron McCormick, a registered nurse and president of the Michigan Nurses Association, said mandatory overtime has been used across Michigan to replace inadequate staffing and poor scheduling.

"I have lived it myself. Every nurse I know has lived it," McCormick said. "When a nurse has already been on their feet for 12 hours, caring for five, six, sometimes seven or more acutely-ill patients, they are the only one who can assess whether they can safely continue."

McCormick emphasized that fatigue impairs judgment, slows reaction time, and increases the risk of medical error.

Hospital and Business Opposition

The legislation faced opposition from business groups and the Michigan Health & Hospital Association. Hospital leaders argued the change could negatively impact patient healthcare access and hinder local hospital decision-making.

A joint letter from the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, Michigan Manufacturers Association, Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, Grand Rapids Chamber, and Small Business Association of Michigan to lawmakers stated that issues like mandatory overtime should be "resolved collaboratively in the workplace by hospital leaders and their employees, including through collective bargaining where a union exists, rather than imposed by one-size-fits-all state or federal mandates."

The groups expressed concern that the ban, combined with a critical shortage of nurses in Michigan, could result in hospitals limiting services and reducing the number of hospital beds.

MHA Reaches Out to Senate

Following the bill passage, MHA Chief Nursing Officer Amy Brown said the organization appreciates the Michigan Senate's willingness to listen to hospital leaders concerns.

"Nurses are essential to high-quality, accessible healthcare," Brown said. "Michigan hospitals rely on our nursing workforce and support decisions being made by our nurse leaders at the hospital level."

The Michigan Nursing Association and the Michigan Health & Hospital Association worked closely over recent weeks to incorporate changes into the bill package that make it "as feasible and reasonable as possible," according to Rep. Chang.

Context of Broader Nursing Advocacy

The vote comes as the Michigan Nursing Association hosts its annual Week of Action, which has included several practice strikes held across the state as informational protest.

Registered nurses at two central Michigan hospitals held informational pickets Tuesday afternoon as part of a statewide effort to advocate for fair contracts. Nurses at MyMichigan Alma and McLaren Central Michigan hospitals in Mt. Pleasant are both currently without contracts, according to the Michigan Nurses Association.

Next Steps

The bills now move to the Michigan House of Representatives, where they will face another vote before becoming law.