Bill > S485

This bill requires the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to establish new minimum staffing requirements for skilled nursing facilities and long-term care facilities (specifically levels I, II, and III). In collaboration with 1199SEIU (a healthcare workers' union) and other stakeholders, the department must update existing nursing services regulations to ensure facilities have an adequate number of nurses, certified nurse assistants, and other staff to meet resident needs and promote residents' physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being. The updated regulations must include specific standards, most notably a minimum of 4.1 hours of care per patient per day and establishing direct-care staff-to-resident ratios that guarantee consistent, quality care in a safe environment. The department is required to issue public recommendations on these new staffing requirements within six months of the bill's passage, with the ultimate goal of improving the quality of care and safety for residents in long-term care facilities.

Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S485