Registered nurses from across California will lobby state legislators in Sacramento, Calif., on Tuesday, May 13, to discuss nurses’ priority legislation to protect patients and nurses, announced California Nurses Association (CNA) today. CNA represents more than 100,000 nurses across California.

“Nurses are advocates and we are meeting with our state lawmakers in Sacramento to make our voices heard,” said CNA President Sandy Reding, RN. “We look forward to speaking with our state representatives in the Senate and Assembly about bills that can protect our patients, our communities, and ourselves.”

Nurses serve as patient advocates everywhere they go, from the bedside to the bargaining table to the halls of the state legislature. They will bring their advocacy and personal stories to lawmakers to express their support for essential legislation to improve patient care and workers’ rights, including maternity services, workers' compensation for nurses and other health care workers, insurance claim denials, worker debt contracts, and immigrant patients’ rights.

“When we come together at events like lobby day, we feel the power of our collective action and know that we can win change,” continued Reding.

For more information about CNA’s supported legislation, see fact sheets on nurses’ key issues below:

• S.B. 632: Reducing Workers’ Compensation Burdens for Frontline Health Care Workers
• A.B. 682: Transparency in Health Insurance Denials
• A.B. 692: Ending Exploitative Worker Debt Contracts
• A.B. 1386: Protecting Access to Maternity Services
• S.B. 81: Protecting the Rights of Immigrant Patients in Hospitals and Health Care Facilities

California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with more than 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and more than 225,000 RNs nationwide.