Nurses and community leaders rallied at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, calling on state lawmakers to pass the Safe Staffing for Quality Care Act.

The New York State Nurses Association has been calling on the Legislature to mandate higher staffing levels for years.

They say the pandemic has proven that staffing is crucial to keep patients and staff safe and healthy.

One worker said that it was time for them to stop being called heroes if they're being treated like "zeroes."

The legislation would require nursing home and hospitals to set specific nurse-to-patient ratios and require certain minimum care hours per resident, per day.

The legislation passed in the state Senate on Monday.