Long-term Care legislation

Our top legislative priorities for the 2025 session: H5169/H5170 

H5170: Supporting Family Councils in Nursing Homes (Donovan/Mack)

• Nursing home regulations give families of residents the right to form councils to advocate for their loved ones, but do not provide any way for them to build and sustain the councils. (ie. those starting a council have no way to reach other families and to notify them of upcoming meetings.)

• This legislation will help empower long-term care residents and their families/care-partners to form councils to advocate together to ensure that all residents receive the best possible care and quality of life.

H 5169: Supporting Resident & Family Councils in Assisted Living, Transparency and Increase Notice in Assisted Living Rates/Fees (Donovan/Mack)

• Assisted living regulations have no provisions or protections for residents or families to form independent councils.

• This legislation will empower both residents and families to form and sustain councils to advocate for improvements in the quality of their care and quality of life

• Residential tenants over 65 in RI have the right to 120 days notice for rent increases, but for residents in assisted living, only 30 days notice is required.

• Assisted living base rates tend to fall between five and ten thousand per month and to increase annually by 6-10%, but additional fees tend to increase more frequently, and fees for services that were previously included in that rate can be added at any time (as long as those services are not specifically included in the resident agreement.)

• This legislation will create transparency of residences’ rates and fees for prospective residents, and require 90 days notice for increases.

• HTBD: Nursing Home Ownership Transparency and Equity Extraction Limit (RIDOH) (Rep. Speakman)

• HTBD: Transparency in Care Staff Hiring (Rep. Knight)

• H5257: Nursing Home Workforce Standards Advisory Board 
(Rep. Slater/ Sen. Valverde)

• H5144: Rewarding Quality in Nursing Home Care Act (Medicaid Reimbursement Reform) (Rep. Potter/ Sen. Thompson)

• S96: Increase the Medicaid Personal Needs Allowance for Nursing Home Residents to $100/month (TBD/LaMountain)