SECTION 1. Chapter 111 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 72W and inserting in place thereof the following section:- 

(a) As used in this section the following words shall have the following meanings:- 

“Long term care facility”, a convalescent home, nursing home, rest home or charitable home for the aged licensed under the provisions of section seventy-one. 

“Nurses’ aide”, any employee of a long term care facility who provides nursing care under the supervision of a nurse for the purpose of providing safety, comfort, personal hygiene or protection of a patient in a long term care facility. 

(b) The commissioner after consultation with the secretary of elder affairs and the board of registration shall establish standards for the training of nurses’ aides which shall include a minimum of sixty hours of training. 

(c) Any person administering a long term care facility who hires a nurses’ aide shall provide such training for said nurses’ aide within ninety days of the commencement of employment. 

(d) Any long term care facility which complies with the provisions of this section shall have the costs of such compliance recognized in its interim rate of payment. 

(e) A nurses’ aide who receives their training and works in a facility whose resident population is predominantly non-English speaking, shall be offered the option to take the nurses’ aide certification exam in a language other than English, including, but not limited to, Spanish and Chinese; provided, however, that the department shall determine which languages the exam shall be offered in. 

(f) The department shall make such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

SECTION 2. Section 1 shall take effect on October 1, 2024.