Bill > H2752

This bill aims to improve long-term care staffing and dignity for caregivers through several measures: 1. It establishes a grant program to cover the costs of nursing facility worker participation in supervisory training to improve staff satisfaction, retention, and reduce turnover. It also creates a career ladder grant program for certified nurses' aides, home health aides, and other entry-level long-term care workers to provide training in English, other languages, and adult basic education. 2. It creates a tuition reimbursement program for certified nursing assistant training, where the state will reimburse the costs for individuals who complete the training and begin working in a licensed nursing facility within 12 months. 3. It introduces a refundable tax credit of up to $1,500 for family caregivers with a Massachusetts adjusted gross income below $75,000 for an individual or $150,000 for a couple, to cover eligible expenses related to caring for an adult family member. 4. It allows spouses to serve as caregivers in the adult foster care and personal care attendant programs. 5. It requires the development of emergency long-term care provider rate increases with hazard pay wage add-ons, and a mandatory infection control and public health training program for new and incumbent direct care employees of home health and home care agencies. 6. It establishes an online personal protective equipment exchange to make PPE available for long-term care workers. 7. It mandates the creation of health care workforce planning committees in skilled nursing facilities to develop comprehensive care team plans to ensure safe working environments and quality care. 8. It sets a minimum staffing standard of 4.0 hours of care per resident per day, with at least 3.5 hours provided by certified nursing assistants, for skilled nursing facilities.

Budget and Finance

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H2752