Massachusetts Passes Bill to Strengthen Nursing Home Oversight and Protect LGBTQ+ Residents

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Massachusetts lawmakers have passed a comprehensive bill aimed at strengthening oversight of nursing homes, enhancing protections for LGBTQ+ residents, and improving infectious disease control measures. Approved on Thursday, the legislation mandates long-term care facilities to provide staff training on the rights of LGBTQ+ older adults and prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status.

The bill also streamlines the licensing process for small house nursing homes and requires facilities to develop outbreak response plans. Additionally, it establishes training programs on infection prevention and resident care.

Senate President Karen Spilka highlighted the bill’s importance in ensuring the safety and accountability of long-term care facilities. “This bill will give the Commonwealth the resources and tools to ensure their safety, weed out bad actors in the field, and enforce oversight and accountability,” Spilka stated.

The legislation also creates a fund to help recruit and train long-term care workers and grants the Department of Public Health (DPH) the authority to revoke licenses of facilities that fail to provide adequate care. The bill now heads to Governor Maura Healey for her signature.