3/30/23 E-News Legislative Update

• By: Ben Hawkins
• On: 03/30/2023 12:39:03
• In: Legislative/Government Affairs

Last Friday, the Appropriations and Financial Affairs Committee voted along party lines to advance a baseline Fiscal Year 2024-2025 biennial budget. This proposed budget includes $9.8 billion in spending, and everything initially proposed by the governor for long term care is included in this baseline budget. The entire legislature is expected to vote on this budget before the end of this week and will then look to develop a supplemental budget over the next few months. MHCA plans on advocating for additional funding in the Supplemental Budget. 
 
Beyond the budget, MHCA continues to advocate for long term care. LD 451, An Act to Ensure Transparent and Accountable Temporary Nurse Agencies, has its work session before the HHS Committee on Thursday, March 30 at 1 pm. We provided additional information to the committee and will be present at the session to answer further questions. This week, Angela Westhoff and Ben Hawkins also testified on LD 781, An Act to Protect Nursing Home Residents by Requiring Nursing Homes to Provide Silent Bed Alarms for Residents with Dementia; LD 1099, An Act to Protect Vulnerable Populations in Residential Facilities from Extended Power Outages; and LD 1112 An Act to Provide Workers' Compensation for Temporary Employees. 
 
Next week we have several bills we will be monitoring or testifying on including: LD 824 Resolve, Directing the Department of Health and Human Services to Review Reimbursement Rates for Nursing Facilities on Islands; LD 938, An Act to Assist Nursing Homes in the Management of Facility Beds; LD 1131 An Act to Support Continuity in Perinatal and Emergency Care by Requiring Notice of a Voluntary Hospital or Facility Closure or Reduction in Services. 

Staff contact: bhawkins@mehca.org