As we advised in the November 2009 issue of the New Jersey eAuthority, the New York State Department of Labor (NYS DOL) issued emergency regulations that require health care employers to create and implement alternative staffing plans (i.e., Nurse Coverage Plans) as a pre-condition to an employer’s ability to require nurses to work overtime for patient care emergencies. The NYS DOL recently extended these emergency regulations to April 12, 2010.