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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 28, 2020 03:22 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Gary Day |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Nurse Staff Minimum Requirement |
| In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation to protect seniors living in long-term care facilities. COVID-19 has had a devastating affect on our long-term care nursing facilities, as well as the staff and residents occupying them. Under current regulation, the minimum number of general nursing care hours must be provided for each 24-hour and when totaled for the entire facility, be at least a minimum of 2.7 hours of direct resident care for each resident (PPD). In March, Governor Wolf waived this requirement to permit long-term care facilities to continue operations if the facility’s minimum number of nursing hours per resident per day is below 2.7 PPD. As reported by the PA Department of Health effective May 28, 2020, approximately 65% of all COVID-19 related deaths have occurred in long term care facilities. Nurse staff minimum requirements are put in place to protect the welfare, health and safety of residents. Removing these requirements at a time when our seniors need protection the most is not something that can occur again in the future. My legislation will immediately restore the nurse staff minimum requirement and prevent the waiver of this requirement during a state of emergency. Please join me in cosponsoring this important piece of legislation. |
Introduced as HB2607