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Subcommittee advances hospital licensing updates, agrees to coordinate with hospital association on 'hallway beds' language
Summary
The Department of Public Health proposed updates to hospital licensing rules reflecting recent laws on 'care at home' and emergency staffing, and to eliminate a long‑standing exception permitting hallway beds; the subcommittee advanced the regulation and asked DPH and the Hospital Association to work on a bill and return revised language.
The subcommittee considered document 5408, a package of amendments to hospital licensing standards presented by Vito Weisevic of the Department of Public Health. Weisevic said the changes implement 2024 Act 164 (acute hospital care at home) and 2025 Act 49 (emergency department staffing) and streamline emergency‑services classifications. A prominent policy change would eliminate a long‑standing exception that had allowed placing beds in hospital hallways; DPH acknowledged that justified emergency hallway beds sometimes save lives but warned that hallway beds raise fire‑and‑life safety, infection‑control, privacy and workplace safety concerns.
Austin Smollett of the Hospital Association told the committee the association has been part of drafting discussions since May and expects to file legislation to address hallway beds; he thanked the governor's office and legislative leadership for assistance. Chairman Bradley moved to approve the regulation in subcommittee and send it to full committee with a recommendation to withdraw and resubmit once stakeholders and DPH reconcile outstanding concerns; DPH agreed to work with the association. The motion passed by voice vote.
Committee members emphasized the need to reach a legislative fix that preserves patient safety while acknowledging hospitals' emergency needs. The subcommittee will monitor the proposed bill and the board's revised language when it returns to full committee.
