Long-Term Care Workforce Support Act
Sponsored By: Representative Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would _strengthen the long‑term care workforce_ by boosting Medicaid support, funding large training and career pathway programs, and creating new workplace rights and safety rules. It combines a reimbursement incentive with grants, training, and enforceable protections for direct care professionals.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
9 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.
New $5,000 tax credit for caregivers
If enacted, eligible long‑term care workers would be able to claim a nonrefundable $5,000 individual tax credit for each taxable year beginning after December 31, 2024. Covered workers include CNAs, LPNs/RNs, home health aides, personal/home care aides, and other direct care professionals who provide paid services in long‑term care settings. The credit would lower tax liability but would not create a refund if larger than taxes owed.
Higher Medicaid match for home care
If enacted, Medicaid would get a 10 percentage-point higher federal match for qualifying long-term care spending in each quarter of fiscal years 2026–2035, up to a 95% cap. States must apply, report how the money is used, and spend funds by September 30, 2037. The law would also make spousal‑impoverishment protections for Medicaid home and community‑based care permanent on the date of enactment. HHS and Labor would hire an outside evaluator to track state spending and publish annual reports starting two years after enactment.
Grants to train and support caregivers
If enacted, the bill would fund many grant programs to recruit, train, and support direct care workers. Major items include a $500 million per year Workforce Direct Care Grants (FY2026–FY2030), large Career Pathways grants, State training allotments, a $10 million per year domestic workers program, scholarship and stipend grants, rural K‑12 grants, mental‑health grants, wage‑theft prevention grants, and rules on how grant money may be used. Grants must limit admin costs, spend some funds directly on participants, and follow project planning and data rules.
Medicare bonus and training demos
If enacted, Medicare would pay an extra 25% of the Medicare payment for a qualifying long‑term care service when the direct care worker completed an approved SSA section 2008(e) training. The bill would also fund SSA section 2008(e) demonstration grants to train low‑income direct care workers, with specified income and Medicaid‑volume eligibility and a $750,000 per‑year grant cap. Demonstrations are funded for FY2026–FY2030.
New workplace violence prevention rules
If enacted, the Labor Department would issue an interim workplace violence prevention standard within 1 year and a final standard within 42 months. Covered health and social service employers would have to make written prevention plans, keep incident logs for 5 years, provide training, investigate events, and post annual summaries. Medicare hospitals and skilled nursing facilities would also have to comply with the standard once issued.
National pay plan and training centers
If enacted, HHS would create a National Direct Care Professional Compensation Advisory Council and publish a national compensation strategy within 18 months. The bill would also set up a National Direct Care Training Standards Commission and fund technical assistance and equity centers to build training standards, curricula, and equity tools. Nonfederal council members would be paid and reimbursed for travel and child care.
Title IV ends after ten years
If enacted, the authorities and duties created by Title IV would terminate 10 years after the date of enactment. Programs and obligations under Title IV would stop on that date unless Congress renews them.
New workplace rights and scheduling rules
If enacted, covered direct care workers would get written employment agreements, 72‑hour schedule notices, reporting‑time pay rules, paid meal and rest breaks, privacy protections, and rights to request temporary schedule changes. The bill would also ban certain pre‑hire agreements (like forced arbitration and noncompetes), bar many immigration‑related threats, and require employer posting of rights. Workers could sue for unpaid wages and penalties, but the bill sets shorter statute‑of‑limitations windows (2 years, 3 years for willful violations). Rights take effect on enactment and regulations must follow within 180 days.
Public health emergency timing rule
If enacted, a public health emergency that was declared before and still in effect on enactment would be treated as if it were declared on the date of enactment for purposes of the subtitle. This timing change applies only if an earlier declaration is still in effect on enactment.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6]
MI • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7]
CA • D
Sponsored 4/28/2026
Simon
CA • D
Sponsored 5/11/2026
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 5/12/2026
Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1]
CT • D
Sponsored 5/13/2026
Davis (IL)
IL • D
Sponsored 5/13/2026
Jackson (IL)
IL • D
Sponsored 5/14/2026
Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4]
IL • D
Sponsored 5/14/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov