In a June 20, 2024 letter, more than 270 national and state organizations urge House and Senate leaders to reject bills (H.R.7513, S.3410) and resolutions under the Congressional Review Act (H.J.Res.139, S.J.Res.91) that would bar the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) “from fulfilling its regulatory duty of creating safe nurse staffing standards.” The organizations urge Members to vote “no” on the bills, resolutions, and any other similar legislative efforts to undo final federal rules, published May 10, 2024, that create nurse staffing standards for nursing facilities.
The letter cites support for minimum staffing standards in a 2001 CMS report and a 2022 report of the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. It describes accommodations in the final staffing rules to concerns expressed by the nursing home industry, including a lengthy implementation schedule, with additional time for rural facilities, and an exemption process that would excuse compliance, “potentially for years.” It also refutes industry concerns about a staffing mandate, arguing that there are sufficient workers who would return to nursing homes to work if compensation were adequate.