Bill > H794

This bill introduces new requirements and accountability measures for nursing home administrators regarding budget and care standards. Specifically, nursing home administrators must now certify under penalty of perjury at the start of each fiscal year that their facility's budget and staffing are sufficient to meet the operational and resident care needs, with this certification needing to be counter-signed by the facility's medical director. If an administrator refuses to sign such a certification or is found to have an insufficient budget, they can face suspension of their license and potential disciplinary action. The Department of Public Health gains expanded powers to investigate and potentially sanction facilities, including revoking licenses or placing facilities in receivership if budgets are deemed inadequate to provide proper resident care. Moreover, the bill establishes that if adverse events occur due to budget insufficiencies, the nursing home administrator, medical director, or facility owners could be held criminally and civilly liable. "Care needs" are comprehensively defined to include all aspects of resident care, from medical services to housing and management costs. The bill aims to ensure that nursing homes maintain adequate resources and standards of care for their residents by creating more direct accountability for administrative leadership.

Health and Social Services

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H794