Section 2UUUU: Long–Term Care Facility Quality Improvement Fund
Section 2UUUU. There shall be a Long–Term Care Facility Quality Improvement Fund. The commissioner of public health shall administer the fund and shall make expenditures from the fund for measures to improve the safety and quality of care provided in long-term care facilities including, but not limited to: (i) staff training and education; (ii) technical assistance to implement best practices; (iii) dissemination of best practice models on quality of care; (iv) state operation of facilities pending correction of deficiencies or closure; (v) costs of relocating residents from 1 facility to another; and (vi) funding to support adequate department resources to inspect facilities under state and federal law.
The fund shall consist of: (i) revenue generated from fines and penalties imposed by the department on long-term care facilities under section 73 of chapter 111; (ii) revenue from appropriations or other money authorized by the general court and specifically designated to be credited to the fund; and (iii) funds from public or private sources including, but not limited to, gifts, grants, donations, rebates and settlements received by the commonwealth that are specifically designated to be credited to the fund. The department may incur expenses and the comptroller may certify for payment amounts in anticipation of expected receipts; provided, however, that no expenditure shall be made from the fund that shall cause the fund to be deficient at the close of a fiscal year. Amounts credited to the fund shall not be subject to further appropriation and money remaining in the fund at the close of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund. The commissioner shall report annually, not later than October 1, on the fund's activity to the senate and house chairs of the joint committee on elder affairs and the house and senate committees on ways and means. The report shall include, but not be limited to: (1) revenue received by the fund; and (2) expenditures from the fund, including the recipient, date and reason for the expenditure.