LANSING, Mich. (April 15, 2026) — Today, the Michigan Senate passed Senate Bills 296 and 297, bipartisan legislation that aims to improve working conditions for nurses statewide. Championed by Sens. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) and Ed McBroom (R-Waucedah Twp.), this legislation would protect Michigan nurses from exploitative forced overtime practices that are driving many to leave their careers.
Currently, there is no law limiting the number of hours a nurse can be scheduled for, with many hospitals requiring nurses to stay overtime after their scheduled shifts. Following a typical 12-hour scheduled shift, nurses may be pressured into providing care for up to 18 hours without the right to say no. These conditions, paired with high patient-to-nurse ratios, are contributing to the nurse staffing crisis.
“Forcing nurses to continue providing critical care for hours on end — while exhausted and sleep deprived — is unsafe for patients and worsens our nursing shortage,” said Sen. Chang. “Our hardworking nurses are crucial to getting Michiganders well, and guardrails to protect them from grueling required overtime are long overdue. I am excited that the Senate took bipartisan action today to advance real solutions for the safety of nurses and patients.”
More specifically, this bill package would:
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Prohibit hospitals from requiring nurses to work past their regularly scheduled hours, with a few exceptions, like a declared public health emergency or mass casualty incident;
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Ensure nurses receive at least 8 hours of off-duty time following a 12-hour shift unless the nurse voluntarily agrees to waive that time; and
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Protect nurses from disciplinary administrative action or discrimination following refusal to take overtime.
“We have long understood the dangers of fatigue in other industries like trucking,” said Sen. McBroom. “Now we are applying that to our health care, too. This will bring patients, families, hospitals and communities better, safer care and be fairer to our nurse professionals who need not just rest but a dependable schedule with their families and the hospital. Finally, it will remove mandatory overtime from being abused as a practical staffing tool rather than an occasional necessity.”
This legislation now heads to the House for further consideration.