Safe Staffing Saves Lives Act
Sponsored By: Representative Doggett
Introduced
Summary
nationwide minimum nurse staffing requirements. This bill would set national minimum nurse staffing levels for nursing homes and create rules for enforcement, waivers, timestamped data reporting, and public notices.
Show full summary
- Would require a baseline of 4.1 total nursing hours per resident per day, including at least 1.3 hours from licensed nurses, and would keep licensed nursing onsite around the clock.
- Would start timestamped staffing data collection on January 1, 2027, require wage, benefits, and turnover data for waiver requests, and allow waivers up to 180 days when a facility documents hiring barriers.
- Would let the Secretary deny Medicare or Medicaid payments to noncompliant facilities and increase survey frequency. It bans transfers solely to meet staffing, preserves State authority to set higher standards, requires facility entrance notices and Nursing Home Compare updates, and mandates a report to Congress by January 1, 2034 and every five years.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.
Medicaid payments denied at low-staff homes
If enacted, beginning January 1, 2029 States would have to stop Medicaid payments for people admitted to a nursing facility after the State finds the home is not meeting the staffing rules. The Secretary could also deny federal payments to the State for care from that facility. The denial would run from the State finding until the later of 180 days or the date the facility comes into compliance.
Medicare payments denied for low-staff homes
If enacted, beginning January 1, 2029 the Secretary could deny Medicare payments for people admitted to a skilled nursing facility that the Secretary finds is not meeting the staffing rules. The denial period would run from the date of the Secretary's finding until the later of 180 days or the date the facility comes into compliance. Facilities found noncompliant would also be excluded from the SNF Value-Based Purchasing program for services furnished on or after January 1, 2029.
New nurse staffing rules and oversight
If enacted, beginning January 1, 2029 nursing homes would have to provide at least 4.1 nursing hours per resident each day. That total would include 0.75 hours from an RN, 0.55 hours from an LPN, and 2.8 hours from nurse aides. Homes would need a registered nurse onsite 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The HHS Secretary would be able to set higher federal minimums. Facilities could seek temporary waivers up to 180 days if they show they cannot reasonably comply, but failing homes with recent harmful deficiencies could not get waivers and no facility could get more than two waivers in a row. If enacted, starting January 1, 2027 facilities would report time-stamped daily staffing hours, and starting January 1, 2029 Nursing Home Compare would show whether a facility meets the rule or has an approved waiver. Facilities found not to meet the rules would have to post a notice at the entrance, give written notice to residents or their families, and could not transfer or discharge a resident solely to meet staffing rules.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Doggett
TX • D
Cosponsors
Schakowsky
IL • D
Sponsored 3/26/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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