To prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services from finalizing a proposed rule regarding minimum staffing for nursing facilities, and to establish an advisory panel on the nursing home workforce.
About This Bill
Committee
Latest Action · December 5, 2023
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
This bill prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services from implementing a proposed federal rule that would establish minimum staffing requirements for nursing facilities. Supporters argue the staffing mandate would force nursing home closures, particularly in rural areas, and displace approximately 450,000 residents, exacerbating existing workforce challenges given that nursing homes have already lost nearly 200,000 employees since 2020 and struggle to hire new staff. In place of the staffing rule, the bill establishes a 17-member Advisory Panel on the Nursing Home Workforce within 60 days of enactment, with representatives from nursing staff at various levels, physicians, rural nursing facilities, state nursing boards, and federal health agencies. The panel must hold its first meeting within 180 days and submit an initial report within 60 days after that, followed by annual reports thereafter, analyzing workforce shortages in rural areas, regulatory impacts, and recommending ways to strengthen the nursing home workforce. All panel meetings will be publicly accessible online with recordings and transcripts made available within 30 days.
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