A new law has been introduced in California requiring hospitals to create and maintain a three-month stockpile of N95 respirators, gowns and other personal protective equipment (PPE).

The bill, AB 2537, has been welcomed by its sponsor the California Nurses Association (CNA).

“Hospitals across the country failed to provide nurses and other health care workers with optimal PPE when Covid-19 hit and the consequences were devastating and deadly,” said Cathy Kennedy, president of the CNA. “At least 360 nurses have died from Covid-19 and tens of thousands more became sick during this pandemic. Hospitals have a responsibility to ensure that their employees have the equipment they need to stay safe. This new law is an important step in holding hospitals accountable and protecting nurses and other health care workers.”

The law applies to employers whose employees provide direct patient care in a public or private-sector hospital setting. It mandates that these employers maintain a stockpile of new and unexpired personal protective equipment in the amount equal to three months of normal consumption. In addition, the law requires employers to establish and implement effective written procedures for periodically determining the quantity and types of equipment used in its normal consumption.

Additionally, employers are required to provide an inventory of their stockpiles upon request. Under the new law, employers who violate the requirement can receive a civil penalty of up to $25,000 for each such violation.

The CNA/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the USA with over 100,000 members.

www.nationalnursesunited.org