It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 23-17.17-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-17.17 entitled "Health Care Quality Program" is hereby amended to read as follows:

23-17.17-6. Health care quality steering committee -- The director shall establish and serve as chairperson of a health care quality steering committee of no more than seventeen (17) members to advise in the following matters: (1) determination of the comparable performance measures to be reported on, (2) assessment of factors contributing to the provision of quality health care, (3) selection of the patient satisfaction survey measures and instrument, (4) methods and format for data collection, (5) program expansion and quality improvement initiatives, (6) format for the public quality performance measurement report, and (7) (7) consideration of nursing sensitive performance measures to be reported on, (8) consideration of the relationship between human resources and quality, beginning with measurement and reporting for nursing staff, and (9) other related issues as requested by the director. The members of the health care quality performance steering committee shall include one member of the house of representatives, to be appointed by the speaker; one member of the senate, to be appointed by the majority leader, the director or director's designee of the department of human services, the director or the director's designee of the department of mental health, retardation and hospitals, the director or the director's designee of the department of elderly affairs, and eleven (11) members to be appointed by the director of the department of health to include persons representing Rhode Island licensed hospitals and other licensed facilities/providers, the medical and nursing professions, the business community, organized labor, consumers, and health insurers and health plans.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.