The House of Representatives is continuing to debate amendments to H.4219, An Act Relative to Immediate COVID-19 Recovery Needs, utilizing funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the FY 2021 budget surplus. The House is expected to take action on the bill this week. Mass Senior Care need the continued support of the nursing facility community to contact their State Representatives to co-sponsor the two important nursing facility amendments, #203 and #845.
Please send an email to your local State Representative today asking him/her to co-sponsor Amendment 203, Nursing Facility Recovery and Amendment 845, Nursing Facility Infrastructure & Workforce. Click here to access a pre-written letter in the Action Alert Center. Please share this Action Alert with your community of staff, residents, and their family members.
- Amendment 203, Nursing Facility Recovery
Filed by Leader Thomas Golden Jr. (D-Lowell)
Amendment 203 would provide $15 per day for each MassHealth resident to allow nursing facilities to maintain recent investments in the direct care workforce, hire critically needed new staff, pay skyrocketing temporary labor costs, fund infection prevention expenses, including critical PPE, and offer single-occupancy isolation rooms.
- Amendment 845, Nursing Facility Infrastructure & Workforce
Filed by Chairman Thomas Stanley (D-Waltham)
Amendment 845 would establish a direct care training scholarship program, funds to offset the costs of child care and transportation for nursing facility staff and grants to hire additional staff including international nurses. The amendment would also establish grants to modernize and update nursing facilities to enhance care delivery and quality resident care.