Senate approves measure requiring at least one registered nurse on hospital boards

The Senate approved legislation that requires hospital governing bodies to include at least one registered professional nurse from the community as a sitting and voting member.

Senator Webb, speaking in favor of the measure, said nurses are "the backbone of our healthcare system" and bring necessary expertise to policy and governance decisions that affect patient care. "Including nurses on hospital boards is not just simply sound policy, it is essential for stronger hospitals and better health care for everyone," Webb said on the floor. The bill’s final section was read and the clerk announced the vote tally; the record shows the measure passed with an announced vote count.

Supporters emphasized that nurses' frontline experience can inform strategic decision-making and improve outcomes; no floor amendments were recorded. The bill will take effect under the timing specified in the statute’s last section as read into the record.