H 7772Standards & Wages

Labor and Labor Relations - Minimum Wages - Healthcare Worker Overtime Pay

Healthcare workers in facilities must be paid time and one-half for working on Sundays and holidays.

Held for study

Population
Affected

Introduced Feb 12, 2026Committee House Labor

Plain-English Summary

This legislation requires that all healthcare workers and medical direct support professionals employed in defined healthcare facilities be paid overtime rates for working on Sundays or holidays. specifically, these employees must be compensated at a rate of time and one-half for any hours worked on these days. This amendment applies to facilities as defined in the state's existing General Laws regarding accident and sickness insurance policies.

For younger readers

This new rule helps people who work in hospitals and other medical places. Sometimes, nurses and other helpers have to work on Sundays or on holidays when most other people are at home resting. This bill says that if they work on those special days, their bosses must pay them extra money. Specifically, they will get "time and one-half." This means if they usually make 10 dollars an hour, they would make 15 dollars an hour for working on a holiday or Sunday.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Healthcare workersMedical direct support professionalsHospital administratorsNursing home operatorsPatients

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely

Estimated cost

Amount unknown

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Guarantees fair compensation for essential workers who are required to sacrifice their weekends and holidays to care for the sick and vulnerable.
Addresses income inequality by boosting the take-home pay of medical direct support professionals, who are often lower-wage workers in the healthcare system.
Discourages the exploitation of labor by ensuring that employers pay a premium for demanding work hours during traditional times of rest and community.
May inadvertently cause healthcare facilities to reduce staffing levels on Sundays and holidays to cut costs, potentially straining the remaining workers and impacting patient care.
Could lead to increased healthcare costs that may be passed on to patients or strain the budgets of state-funded public health programs.
May create a disparity between facility-based workers and home healthcare workers if the latter do not fall under the specific definition of a "healthcare facility," leaving some vulnerable workers behind.

For Conservatives

Supports the traditional importance of Sundays and holidays by placing a higher economic value on labor performed during these times of rest and worship.
Utilizes financial incentives rather than government mandates on scheduling to ensure shifts are covered, allowing market forces to reward those willing to work unpopular hours.
May help stabilize the healthcare workforce and reduce turnover in private businesses by offering better compensation packages without direct government subsidies.
Represents government interference in private employment contracts, dictating wage terms that should be negotiated between the employer and the employee.
Imposes increased operational costs on private healthcare businesses, which could stifle growth or force small practices to close.
Disregards the operational reality of 24/7 industries where Sunday work is standard, arbitrarily penalizing businesses for operating on specific calendar days.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 4 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 28-12 of the General Laws entitled "Minimum Wages" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 28-12-4.5. Overtime pay for healthcare professionals. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, all healthcare workers and all medical direct support professionals who are employed in a healthcare facility, as defined in § 27-18-1.1, on any Sunday or holiday, shall be compensated at the rate of time and one-half.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.