HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2168        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 651

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Thomas M. Stanley

_________________

To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to promoting innovation in elder care services.

_______________

PETITION OF:

 

Name:

District/Address:

Date Added:

Thomas M. Stanley

9th Middlesex

1/19/2023

Lindsay N. Sabadosa

1st Hampshire

2/1/2023

Brian W. Murray

10th Worcester

2/17/2023

Rodney M. Elliott

16th Middlesex

2/22/2023

Mathew J. Muratore

1st Plymouth

2/22/2023

Paul McMurtry

11th Norfolk

2/23/2023

James C. Arena-DeRosa

8th Middlesex

2/27/2023

Natalie M. Higgins

4th Worcester

2/28/2023

David Paul Linsky

5th Middlesex

3/1/2023

Russell E. Holmes

6th Suffolk

3/1/2023

Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr.

12th Hampden

3/1/2023

Edward R. Philips

8th Norfolk

3/3/2023

William J. Driscoll, Jr.

7th Norfolk

3/6/2023

Michael O. Moore

Second Worcester

3/16/2023

Alice Hanlon Peisch

14th Norfolk

3/22/2023


HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2168        FILED ON: 1/19/2023

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 651

By Representative Stanley of Waltham, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 651) of Thomas M. Stanley and others relative to promoting innovation in elder care nursing facilities and services.  Elder Affairs.

 

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

 

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)

_______________

 

An Act relative to promoting innovation in elder care services.

 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Notwithstanding any special or general law to the contrary, the executive office of health and human services shall, subject to appropriation, establish a no-interest, forgivable loan program for the purposes of (i) funding the development of nursing facility specialized care units, (ii) enabling facilities to offset the costs of pay-go capital improvements and (iii) funding innovative projects designed to reduce nursing facility bed capacity in order to meet the needs and preferences of older adults.

Funding to support nursing facility specialized care units shall include, but not be limited to: (a) infectious disease isolation; (b) dementia special care; (c) degenerative neurological units; (d) geriatric psychiatry; (e) traumatic brain injury; (f) in-house dialysis treatment; and (g) behavioral health and substance use disorder. Funding to offset the pay-go capital improvements shall include, but not be limited to: (a) heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems and air filtration system upgrades to mitigate the spread of airborne illnesses; (b) roof and other infrastructure replacement and repair projects; (c) alternative energy conversion projects; and (d) elevator renovations to comply with new government requirements. Funding to promote innovative projects shall include, but not be limited to: (a) conversion of sections within nursing facilities into affordable housing, veterans housing, or assisted living units to better accommodate individual needs of residents; (b) converting multi-bed rooms to single occupancy to enhance privacy and dignity; and (c) establishing voluntary nursing facility reconfigurations, including financial incentives to reduce capacity and balance supply and demand based on regional needs.