As nursing home staffing bill advances through Legislature, AARP Florida considers veto campaign
Ben Albritton. Image via Colin Hackley.

FLAPOL092121CH057
As lawmakers consider nursing home staffing changes, AARP Florida considers mounting a veto campaign.

A compromise between the nursing home industry and the state’s trial attorneys over nursing home legislation is inching closer to passage after a Senate panel on Tuesday gave the green light to SB 804.

But a statewide advocacy group is gearing up to have Gov. Ron DeSantis veto the measure.

Before passing the bill by a 12-4 vote, the Senate Rules Committee added amendments offered by bill sponsor Sen. Ben Albritton that brought the bill closer in line to its House companion (HB 1239).

As amended, SB 804 now precludes nursing homes that don’t meet minimum staffing hours from accepting new residents. The nursing home industry wanted the Legislature to eliminate the moratorium, but Albritton kept the moratorium after negotiations with the House.

“You have to be cognizant of where the other chamber is. As we were negotiating the bill, they felt a lot more comfortable keeping the moratorium as it is today in current law,” Albritton told Florida Politics prior to the committee vote.

The bill that heads next to the full Senate requires nursing homes to conduct facility assessments to determine the staff needed to provide the type of care needed for the facility’s resident population by considering the types of diseases, conditions, physical and cognitive disabilities, as required by federal rule.

The level of resident care required would be determined by the facility assessment as well as the resident’s direct care plan. At a minimum, the bill would require facilities to maintain 2 hours of staffing by certified nursing assistants, a reduction from the current 2.5-hour requirement.

The Florida Health Care Association has been pushing for nursing home staff reductions since prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago. This year, the FHCA, which represents most of the state’s for-profit nursing homes, reached an agreement with the Florida Justice Association, the group that represents the state’s trial attorneys.

AARP Florida, though, continues to oppose the legislation and may ask Gov. DeSantis to veto the bill, said associate state director of advocacy Zayne Smith. Smith noted nearly 40% of the state’s nursing homes are on an Agency for Health Care Administration watch list tracking facilities that are bankrupt or not meeting state standards.

“From here on, it’s up to the Governor. Our push is to get him to veto it. He has always put seniors first. He ran on the platform for his gubernatorial race. He won on a platform of protecting seniors,” Smith told Florida Politics. “A veto on this will ensure he is still putting seniors first. And, so, that’s our request, that the Governor veto this thing.”

Albritton said he had not considered a potential veto campaign but described it as “interesting.”

“Here’s the really great thing about the bill in its entirety,” Albritton said. “The issue of the staffing shortage is, everybody agrees we have a problem. We have a real problem. So, I would expect the Governor’s folks to see that too,” Albritton said. “This is our attempt to try to help and alleviate the challenges that are going on. So, we’ll get it passed first. That’s our No. 1 and then we’ll see where we go.”

Christine Jordan Sexton

Tallahassee-based health care reporter who focuses on health care policy and the politics behind it. Medicaid, health insurance, workers’ compensation, and business and professional regulation are just a few of the things that keep me busy.


2 comments

  • Joanie Ippolito

    March 2, 2022 at 11:54 am

    CNA’s are critical to the most basic care, dignity and comfort of nursing home residents. Decreasing the CNA requirement when care is already minimal is dangerous. It’s all about the dollar until it affects you and your family. Protect nursing home residents and vote NO.

  • Stephanie Escalante

    March 15, 2022 at 11:20 am

    VETO this thing. it’s not realistic that nursing homes will use “other” direct care staff to help CNAs out. these law makers have never stepped foot in a nursing home or even had to put their family members in one. If anything this bills should be increasing the minimum hours a CNA should spend with the resident’s, not decreasing it. Making Nursing home properly staff their floors. If we have a staffing problem now – imagine after this bill passes! CNA’s will quit the industry. The pay scale is atrocious, they can earn more at Chic-Fil-A This bill is horrendous.

Comments are closed.


#FlaPol

Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. This platform and all of its content are owned by Extensive Enterprises Media.

Publisher: Peter Schorsch @PeterSchorschFL

Contributors & reporters: Phil Ammann, Drew Dixon, Roseanne Dunkelberger, A.G. Gancarski, Ryan Nicol, Jacob Ogles, Cole Pepper, Jesse Scheckner, Drew Wilson, and Mike Wright.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @PeterSchorschFL
Phone: (727) 642-3162
Address: 204 37th Avenue North #182
St. Petersburg, Florida 33704