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Summary of Question 1
This proposed law would limit how many patients could be assigned to each registered nurse in Massachusetts hospitals and certain other health care facilities. The maximum number of patients per registered nurse would vary by type of unit and level of care, as follows: In units with step-down/intermediate care patients: 3 patients per nurse; In units with post-anesthesia care or operating room patients: 1 patient under anesthesia per nurse; 2 patients post-anesthesia per nurse; In the emergency services department: 1 critical or intensive care patient per nurse (or 2 if the nurse has assessed each patient's condition as stable); 2 urgent non-stable patients per nurse; 3 urgent stable patients per nurse; or 5 non-urgent stable patients per nurse; In units with maternity patients: (a) active labor patients: 1 patient per nurse; (b) during birth and for up to two hours immediately postpartum: 1 mother per nurse and 1 baby per nurse; (c) when the condition of the mother and baby are determined to be stable: 1 mother and her baby or babies per nurse; (d) postpartum: 6 patients per nurse; (e) intermediate care or continuing care babies: 2 babies per nurse; (f) well-babies: 6 babies per nurse; In units with pediatric, medical, surgical, telemetry, or observational/outpatient treatment patients, or any other unit: 4 patients per nurse; and In units with psychiatric or rehabilitation patients: 5 patients per nurse. The proposed law would require a covered facility to comply with the patient assignment limits without reducing its level of nursing, service, maintenance, clerical, professional, and other staff. The proposed law would also require every covered facility to develop a written patient acuity tool for each unit to evaluate the condition of each patient. This tool would be used by nurses in deciding whether patient limits should be lower than the limits of the proposed law at any given time. The proposed law would not override any contract in effect on January 1, 2019 that set higher patient limits. The proposed law's limits would take effect after any such contract expired. The state Health Policy Commission would be required to promulgate regulations to implement the proposed law. The Commission could conduct inspections to ensure compliance with the law. Any facility receiving written notice from the Commission of a complaint or a violation would be required to submit a written compliance plan to the Commission. The Commission could report violations to the state Attorney General, who could file suit to obtain a civil penalty of up to $25,000 per violation as well as up to $25,000 for each day a violation continued after the Commission notified the covered facility of the violation. The Health Policy Commission would be required to establish a toll-free telephone number for complaints and a website where complaints, compliance plans, and violations would appear. The proposed law would prohibit discipline or retaliation against any employee for complying with the patient assignment limits of the law. The proposed law would require every covered facility to post within each unit, patient room, and waiting area a notice explaining the patient limits and how to report violations. Each day of a facility's non-compliance with the posting requirement would be punishable by a civil penalty between $250 and $2,500. The proposed law's requirements would be suspended during a state or nationally declared public health emergency. The proposed law states that, if any of its parts were declared invalid, the other parts would stay in effect. The proposed law would take effect on January 1, 2019.""

2018 - Plymouth County - Question 1Do you approve of a law summarized below, on which no vote was taken by the Senate or the House of Representatives on or before May 2, 2018?

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Plymouth County Results
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City/Town Ward Pct Blanks Total Votes Cast
Totals
61,907
158,554
6,752 227,213
Abington More »
 
1,965
5,195
252
7,412
Bridgewater More »
 
2,996
7,394
226
10,616
Brockton More »
 
8,786
16,285
1,619
26,690
Carver More »
 
1,446
3,449
174
5,069
Duxbury More »
 
1,916
6,438
189
8,543
E. Bridgewater More »
 
1,736
4,618
157
6,511
Halifax More »
 
892
2,697
106
3,695
Hanover More »
 
1,904
5,478
217
7,599
Hanson More »
 
1,398
3,721
85
5,204
Hingham More »
 
3,028
9,226
343
12,597
Hull More »
 
1,774
3,525
183
5,482
Kingston More »
 
1,784
4,573
153
6,510
Lakeville More »
 
1,388
3,883
175
5,446
Marion
 
674
2,094
44
2,812
Marshfield More »
 
3,583
9,648
201
13,432
Mattapoisett
 
1,052
2,696
49
3,797
Middleborough More »
 
2,964
7,107
378
10,449
Norwell More »
 
1,466
4,365
112
5,943
Pembroke More »
 
2,186
6,445
201
8,832
Plymouth More »
 
7,880
19,579
678
28,137
Plympton
 
429
1,092
20
1,541
Rochester
 
726
2,032
62
2,820
Rockland More »
 
1,968
5,352
340
7,660
Scituate More »
 
2,591
7,817
252
10,660
Wareham More »
 
2,678
6,550
275
9,503
W. Bridgewater More »
 
937
2,462
77
3,476
Whitman More »
 
1,760
4,833
184
6,777
County Totals
61,907
158,554
6,752 227,213